^^s^:-
D
2— &
1 ^^1
— ^
3
i!
i .
! t
'1 *
■ } ;
-1 1]
♦«;
5
^'
^ -.
^
#
n
i
#
^
^^.>
■^Mm
/ i
PAST AND PRESENT
OF
JASPER COUNTY
IOWA
GEN. JAMES B. WEAVER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME I
1912
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA
DEDICATION.
This work is respectfully dedicated to
THE PIONEERS,
long since departed. May the memory of those who laid down their burdens
by the wayside ever be fragrant as the breath of summer
flowers, for their toils and sacrifices have made
Jasper County a garden of sun-
shine and delights.
■5137052
V. /
PREFACE
All life and achievement is evolution; present wisdom comes from past
experience, and present commercial prosperity has come only from past exer-
tion and suffering. The deeds and motives of the men that have gone before
have been instrumental in shaping the destinies of later communities and
states. The development of a new country was at once a task and a privi-
lege. It required great courage, sacrifice and privation. Compare the pres-
ent conditicms of the people of Jasper ctmnty. Iowa, with what thev were
one hundred years ago. From a trackless wilderness and virgin land,
it has come to be a center of prosperity and civilization, with millions of
wealth, systems of railways, grand educational institutions, splendid indus-
tries and immense agricultural and mineral productions. Can any thinking
person be insensible to the fascination of the study which discloses the
aspirations and efforts of the early pioneers who so strongly laid the founda-
tion upon which has been reared the magnificent prosperity of later days?
To perpetuate the story of these people and to trace and record the social,
political and industrial progress of the community from its first inception
is the function of the local historian. A sincere purpose to preserve facts
and personal memoirs that are deserving of perpetuation, and which unite
the present to the past, is the motive for the present publication. The work
has been in the hands of able writers. Avho have, after much patient study
and research, produced here the most complete biographical memoirs of
Jasper county. Iowa, ever offered to the jjublic. A specially valuable and
interesting department is that one devoted to the sketches of representative
citizens of this county whose records deserve preservation because of their
worth, effort and accomplishment. The publishers desire to extend their
thanks to the gentlemen who have so faithfully labored to this end. Thanks
are also due to the citizens of Jasper count\- for the uniform kindness with
which they have regarded this undertaking and for their many services ren-
dered in the gaining of necessary information.
In placing the "Past and Present of Jasper County. Iowa," before the
citizens, the publishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out
the plan as outlined in the prospectus. Eveiy biographical sketch in the
work has been submitted to the party interested, for correction, and therefore
any error of fact, if there be any, is solely due to the person for whom the
sketch was prepared. Confident that our effort to please will fully meet the
approbation of the public, we are,
Respectfully.
THE PUBLISHERS.
u
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I— Ix\TRODUCTORY 25
Importance of General and Local History — Jasper County Three Score
Years Ago — Wonderful Change in the Scene.
CHAPTER II— NATURAL FEATURES 27
■ Geological Characteristics — Soil — Land Elevations — Streams of Jasper
County — The Native Groves — Wonderful Mirage in 1859 — Coal Mining
Industry — Weather Conditions of Jasper County — Climatic Changes.
CHAPTER III— CHANGE FROM INDIAN TO W^HITE MAN'S OCCUPANCY 37
The Iowa Indians, the Sacs and Foxes — Indian Treaties — Disputes Between
Iowa Indians and the Warlike Sioux — Treaty of 1825 — Government Secures
Indian Lands — Removal of the Indians — Indians and the Whites — Some
Well-known Chiefs — Indian Traders — The Trail Made by the Dragoons.
CHAPTER IV— ORGANIZATION OF JASPER COUNTY 44
Original Boundary Lines — Organizing Act of 1846 — Organizing Election —
First Officers — First Meeting of County Commissioners — Locating the
County Seat — Dividing the County into Townships — Boundaries — Another
Change in Township Lines — Washington Precinct — Government Surveys —
Dates of Township Organizations.
CHAPTER V— EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY 54
Adam Tool and His Companions — Mrs. William Highland, the First Woman
— Tool's Tavern — Assessment Roll for 1847 — The Hollanders in Jasper
County — The Pioneers — Wild Game — First Bad Characters in this County —
First Events in Jasper County — First Portable Saw Mill — Claim Protection
Societies — Going to Mill — Value of Bread — Some Severe Winters.
CHAPTER VI— COUNTY GOVERNMENT 72
County Governmental Changes — Acts of the County Commissioners — Taxa-
ble Property in 1849 — Acts of the County Judge — Proceedings of the Board
of Supervisors — Drainage of the Swamp Lands — The County Held Liable —
The County's Finances — Abstracts of Tax Books, 1910 — ^Jasper County's
Various Court Houses — First County Building — The Second Court House —
The Present Court House — The County Jail — The County Home — Jasper
County Seal — Official Directory, 1911 — New Road Drag Law.
CHAPTER VII— COUNTY, STATE AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATION.. 89
Presidential Vote — L'nited States Senators — Congressmen — Governors of
Iowa — State Senators — Representatives — Early County Commissioners — Com-
CONTENTS.
„„.Mu„.i- V Icrks-County J lulKes— Sheriff .-founty Surveyors— Clerks of
the District Court— County Attorneys— County Treasurers— County Record-
crs-Countv Coroners- County Auditors-Prosecuting Attorneys— Superin-
tendents of'School— School Fund Commissioner— County Supervisors— Town-
ship Officers — Supervisors' Districts.
CHAPTER VIII-AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, STOCK RAISING-— 100
Jasper, an Advanced County in One of the Best Agricultural States of the
Union— Agricultural Census for 1905— Yield Per Acre— Rainfall— Jasper
County Agricultural Society— Official Roster— Present Officers— Prairie City
Agricultural Society— Patrons of Husbandry.
CHAPTER IX-RAILROADS AND EARLY TRANSPORTATION 109
Importance of Railroads in Local Development— First Railroad Project-
Iowa Land Grants— Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific— Newton & Monroe
Railroad— Iowa Central Railroad— Chicago Great Western Railroad— Newton
& Northwestern Railroad— Railroad Mileage of County.
CHAPTER X— EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS . 116
Iowa Public School System the Best— Early Legislative Acts— First Subscrip-
tion Schools — Early School Houses — School Finances Long Ago — First
Schools in Some of the Townships — Newton City Schools — Occupations of
High School Graduates — Jasper County Schools in 1870-76 — A Model School
House — Jasper County Schools in 1910 — School Townships — Independent
Village. Town and City Corporations — Rural Independent Corporations —
Some Statistics — Teachers' Institutes — Wittemberg Manual Labor College —
Lynnville Academy — Hazel Dell Academy — Its Founder, Prof. Darius
Thomas — Newton Normal College.
CHAPTER XI— NEWSPAPERS OF JASPER COUNTY 143
Potent Influence of the Press — First Newspaper in Jasper County — Newton
Newspapers — The Express — The Journal — Jasper County Independent — Free
Press — Newton Herald — Newton Daily News — Newton Record — Lynnville
Star — Baxter New Era — Colfax Tribune — Colfax Clipper — Prairie City News
— Monroe Mirror — Kellogg Enterprise.
CHAPTER XII— RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF THE COUNTY 152
Religious Convictions of the Pioneers — First Religious Service in the County
— Present Denominations and Memberships in the County — Methodist Epis-
copal Societies— Newton Methodist Church— Tool's Chapel — Methodist
Churches at Ira, Valeria, Mingo, Keilogg, Rushville, Mt. Pleasant, Reasnor,
Colfax, Clyde, Fairmount, Kilduff, Prairie City, Lynnville— Methodist Pro-
testant Church — Newton Free Methodist Church — Baptist Churches at New-
ton, Colfax, Vandalia, Metz, Monroe— Presbyterian Churches at Newton,
Colfax— United Presbyterian Churches at Monroe, Newton and the Palo
Alto Church— United Brethren — Congregational Churches at Newton, Prairie
City, Monroe, Sully, Newberg. Wittemberg— Church of Christ (Disciples)—
Universalist Church— Catholic Churches of Jasper County— Episcopal Church
—Mormon Church— Lutheran Churches— German Reformed Church— Christ-
ian Ueformed Church— Society of Friends— Seventh-day Adventist Church-
African Methodist Epixopal Church— Young Men's Christian Association.
CONTENTS,
CHAPTER XIII— CIVIC SOCIETIES OF THE COUNTY 191
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons — Royal Arch Masons— Kpights Templar
— Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Patriarchs MSilitant — Knights of
Pythias.
CHAPTER XIV— MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTY 204
President Lincoln's First Call for Enlistments — Enthusiasm in Jasper County
— War Meetings — Official Action — Presentation of the Havelocks — Volun-
teer Roster of the County— The County's Death Roll — The Jasper Grays—
Spanish-American War — Grand Army of the Republic.
CHAPTER XV— BENCH AND BAR OF JASPER COUNTY 229
First Term of Court in Jasper County — Early Judges — District and Circuit
Courts — Jasper County Attorneys — The Present Bar.
CHAPTER XVI— MEDICAL PROFESSION 248
The Early "Saddle-bags" Doctor — Wonderful Advance in the Science of Medi-
cine — Physicians of Jasper County — An Honorable List — Present Practicmg
Physicians — County Medical Societies.
CHAPTER XVII— BANKS AND BANKINGi 256
Little Early Need for Banks — Prosperous Times of the Fifties — Specie Pay-
ment in the County — Panic of 1857 — Newton's Banks — Banking at Monroe,
Reasnor, Prairie City, Newburg, Mingo, Lynnville, Baxter, Ira, Kellogg,
Colfax — Bank Failures — List of Present Jasper County Banks.
CHAPTER XVIII— THE CITY OF NEWTON . 269
Beginning of the City — Value of Town Lots in 1846 — Town Plat Surveyed —
Early Residents — Business Enterprises in 1860 — Activity of 1875 — Subsequent
Rapid but Steady Growth — Manufacturing Enterprises in 1911 — Flouring
Mills — Postoffice History — Municipal History — First Town Charter Aban-
doned — Fire Department — Electric Light Plant — Water Works — A New De-
parture — City Officials — Free Public Library — Union Cemetery — Business
Men's Association.
CHAPTER XIX— BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP 285
Organization — Location — Concerning the Settlement— First Events— Wild
Turkeys — Village of Murphy — Village of Killduflf — Churches.
CHAPTER XX— FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP 290
Boundaries— Organization — First Settlement in Jasper County — First Events
— Town of Monroe — Incorporation History — Mayors — Present Town Offi-
cers — Business Directory — City of the Dead — Postoffice History — Village of
Fairmount — Fairview Township and the Civil War — Veterans Who Re-
enlisted.
CHAPTER XXI— MOUND PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP 300
Location — Organization — Original Land Entries — Early Settlers — First
Events — Village of Metz — Village of Severs.
CHAPTER XXII— ROCK CREEK TOWNSHIP . 304
Boundaries — Population — First Land Entries — Organization and First Elec-
tion — Fatal Accidents — Valuations — Village of Turner.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXIII— ELK CREEK TOWNSHIP — 306
Situation— Organization— First Entries of Government Land— First Religious
Ser\'ice — Elections — Valuations— Village of Galesburg.
CHAPTER XXIV— MARIPOSA TOWNSHIP 308
Location and Organization— Land Entries— Personal Tax Valuations— En-
terprising Spirit
CHAPTER XXV— MALAKA TOWNSHIP 309
Largest Township in the County— Boundaries— Organization — Population —
Land Entries — A Prairie Township — Tax Valuations.
CHAPTER XXVI— DES MOINES TOWNSHIP 310
Area— Natural Features — Population — Organization — Land Entries — Elec-
tions — Tax Valuations — Towns and Villages — Prairie City — A Desirable Lo-
cation — Incorporation — Mayors — Local Improvements — Postoffice History —
Business Directory — Vandalia Village.
CHAPTER XXVII— KELLOGG TOWNSHIP 316
Location — Population — Tax Valuations — Town of Kellogg — Original Platting
— Early Business Enterprises — First Events — Municipal History — Business
Factors in 1911 — Postoffice — Fires.
CHAPTER XXVIII— INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP 321
Boundaries — Natural Features — Organization — Tax Valuations — A Terrible
Accident — Town of Baxter — Original Plat — Mayors — Public Improvements
— Postoffice — Business Directory — Village of Ira — Business Interests — Post-
office.
CHAPTER XXIX— HICKORY GROVE TOWNSHIP 325
Area and Boundaries — Population — Unusual Items of Interest — Assessed
Valuations — Village of Newburg — Postoffice — Business Interests.
CHAPTER XXX— LYNN GROVE TOWNSHIP 328
One of the Original Civil Precincts — Natural Features — Tax Valuations —
Character of First Pioneers — Early Enterprises — Another Early Settlement
Account — First Events — Lynnville — Incorporation — Present Business Inter-
ests — Postoffice — Village of Sully — Business Directory — Public Utilities —
Postoffice.
CHAPTER XXXI— RICHLAND TOWNSHIP 336
Situation and Area — Natural Featur.;s — Property Valuation — A Prosperous
Farming Community.
CHAPTER XXXII— POWESHIEK TOWNSHIP 337
Origin of Name— Situation— Natural Features— Organization— First Land
Entries— Greencastle— Village of Mingo— Officials— Postoffice— Business In-
terests—Village of Valeria— Commercial Directory— Postoffice— Oswalt.
CHAPTER XXXIII— PALO ALTO TOWNSHIP 342
Location and Area— Earliest Land Entries— Organization— The Beginnings-
First Events— Interesting Paragraphs— Town of Reasnor— Present Business
Interests — Postoffice History.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXXIV-NEWTON TOWNSHIP... 34^
Organization-Boundaries-Natural Features-Prpuirti"o"n-ETe7tio'ns-Tax"
Valuations— Historical Notes.
CHAPTER XXXV-WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 348
Boundaries-Streams-Population-Organization of the"Towns"h7pl"at"y"of
Colfax-Schools and Churches-First Things-Medicinal Waters-Munici-
pal Crovernment— Incorporation— Mayors— Present Officers— Fire Depart-
ment-Water Works-Postoffice-First Important Events-Business In-
terests.
CHAPTER XXXVI— SHERMAN TOWNSHIP 357
Location-Groyes-Streams-Early Land Entries-b7;inL7t7on-p7puTa"
tion — Land Valuations.
CHAPTER XXXVII-CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP 358
Situation-Area-Streams- Population - Elections-TaxableT- vinaie""of
Clyde — A Bad Fire.
CHAPTER XXXVIII-MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS 360
Village Plats of the County-California Gold Seekers-Earl'y'stage'Ro'adl-
Marnage Record— Intoxicating Liquors, Prohibition, Etc.— Unique Temper-
ance Election-Vote on the Constitutional Amendment-Local Literature
and Authors-Total Eclipse of 1869-Pioneer Woman Called "Good Squaw"
~r^^}%'^T^^] ?"" Located in Jasper County-The Underground Railroad
-Old Settlers Society-Jasper County's First Celebration-Population Sta-
tistics-Postoffices-Village Plats and Population-Early-day Mob Law
Spint-Jasper County Safe Robbery-Overturning of a Stage Coach-Grand
Jury Incident— Ventriloquism— Valeria Cyclone, 1896.
CHAPTER XXXIX-INTERESTING REMINISCENCES.... 403
Great Indian Scare— Memorable Winter of 1848-9— Hard Winter of"l856-7—
Reminiscences of the Old Court House-A Home Coming-Early Times in
Mound Prairie— The "Know Nothing" Political Party
HISTORICAL INDEX
A
Acts of County Commissioners 37
Acts of County Judge 75
African M. E. Church 189
Agricultural Societies 102
An Agricultural County 100
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons 191
Anti-slavery Days 373
Assessment Roll of 1847 59
Attorneys of Jasper County 232
Auditors 95
B
Bad Characters 64
Bank Failures 266
Banks and Banking 256
Baptist Churches , 164
Baxter 322
Baxter Newspapers 148
Bench and Bar 229
Board of Supervisors 76
Buena Vista Township 286
Burton & Co. Bank, Kellogg 265
Business Men's Association 283
C
California Gold Seekers 362
Catholic Churches 183
Census of 1910 377
Census Statistics 100
Changes in Township Lines 51
Chicago Great Western Railroad 114
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
Railroad 112
Christian Reformed Church 186
Church of Christ l78
Churches 152
Circuit Court 231
Citizens' State Bank, Colfax 265
Citizens' State Bank, Xewton 260
Civic Societies 191
Claim Protection Societies 67
Clark. L. D., Bank 260
Clear Creek Township 358
Clerks of District Court 93
Climatic Changes 34
Clyde 359
Clyde M. E. Church 161
Coal Mining 31
Colfax 340
Colfax Business Interests 353
Colfax Christian Church 180
Colfax Fire Department 352
Colfax M. E. Church 160
Colfax Municipal Government 351
Colfax Newspapers 148
Colfax Officers 351
Colfax Postoffice 352
Colfax Presbyterian Church 168
Colfax Water Works 352
Commissioners' Clerks 92
Congregational Churches 173
Congressmen 90
Constitutional Amendment, Vote 366
Coroners 95
County Attorneys 94
County Commissioners, Acts of 7Z
County Commissioners, Early 92
County Commissioners, First Meet-
ing 47
County Divided 50
Count}' Finances 78
County Government 72
County Home 86
County Jail 85
County Judge, Acts of 75
County Judges 92
County Medical Societies 255
HISTORICAL INDEX.
v.,„,u> urticcrs. 1911 «^
County Schools in 1870 125
County Scat. Locating •♦^
County Supervisors 96
County Treasurers 94
County's War Death-roll —1
Court. F\t>1 Term of 229
Court House Reminiscences 40/
Court Houses 80
Cyclone at Valeria 399
D
l)ai!y Newspapers I'^S
Des Moines Township 310
Disciples Church 178
Division of County SO
Doctors, Early 248
Drag Law 87
Drainage of Swamp Lands 77
E
Early County Commissioners 92
Early-day Mob Spirit 379
Early Judges 229
Early Physicians 248
Early School Finances 119
Early School Houses 118
Early Settlement 54
Early Stage Roads 362
Early Times 411
Eclipse of 1869 369
Educational Interests 116
Election, Organizing ; 47
Elevation of Land 27
Elk Creek Township 306
Episcopal Church 183
F
Fairniount 296
Fairmount M. E. Church 161
Fairvicw Township 296
Fairvifw Township and the Civil
War 296
Farm Stai us 101
Farmers' S mgs Bank, Ira 265
Fifth Infantry 210
Fifth Veteran Cavalry __ 218
Fifty-first Regiment 225
Fifty-second Regiment 226
Finances of County 78
First Court House 80
First Death 65
First Events in Jasper County 65
First Mill 66
First National Bank, Colfax 266
First National Bank, Monroe 261
First National Bank, Newton 261
First National Bank, Prairie City 263
First Newspaper 143
First Portable Saw-mill 67
First Railroad Project 109
First School House 118
First Schools 119
First Term of Court 229
First Wedding 65
First W^hite Child 65
First Woman Here 56
Fortieth Infantry 216
Forty-fifth Infantry 217
Forty-ninth Regiment 224
Fourteenth Infantry 213
Fourth Cavalry 218
Foxes 37
Free Methodist Church 164
Friends Society 188
G
Galesburg 307
German Reformed Church 185
Going to Mill 69
Gold Seekers 362
Good Squaw 370
Government Surveys 52
Governors 90
Grand Army of the Republic 226
Grand Jury Incident 398
Grange 106
Great Indian Scare 403
Green, John, Chief 41
Greencastle 338
Groves 29
H
Hard Winter of 1856-7 407
Hazel Dell Academy 135
Hickory Grove Township 325
Highland, Mrs. William 56
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Hollanders in Jasper County 60
Home Coming 410
I
Independence Township 321
Independent Order of Odd Fellows 196
Independent School Corporations — 127
Indian Occupancy 37
Indian Scare 403
Indian Traders 41
Indian Treaties 38
Indians and Whites 39
Interesting Reminiscences 403
Intoxicating Liquors 365
Introductory 25
Iowa Central Railroad 114
Iowa Land Grants 110
lowas 37
Ira 324
Ira M. E. Church 157
J
Jail 85
Jasper County Agricultural Society-- 102
Jasper County Attorneys 232
Jasper County Banks 267
Jasper County Medical Society 255
Jasper County Organized 44
Jasper County Population 377
Jasper County Postofifices 379
Jasper County Safe Robbery 383
Jasper County Savings Bank 260
Jasper County Seal 87
Jasper County Streams 27
Jasper Grays 223
Jasper's First Celebration 375
Jasper's Original Boundary 44
Judges 92
Judges, Early ^ 229
K
Kellogg 316
Kellogg Christian Church 180
Kellogg Lutheran Church 184
Kellogg M. E. Church 158
Kellogg Newspapers 150
Kellogg Township 316
Killduff . 288
KilldufT M. E. Church 161
Knights of Pythias 201
Knights Templar 193
Know-nothing Party 414
L
Land Elevation 27
Land Grants HO
Library, Newton 281
Local Authors 367
Local Literature 367
Locating County Seat 48
Lutheran Church 184
Lynch Law 379
Lynn Grove Township 328
Lynnville 331
Lynnville Academy 135
Lynnville M. E. Church 162
Lynnville Newspapers 147
M
Macy Brothers' Bank, Lynnville 264
Malaka Township 309
Mariposa Township 308
Marriage Record 363
Masonic Order 191
Medical Profession 248
Medical Society 255
Memorable Winter of 1848-9 406
Meteorological Reports 33
Methodist Episcopal Churches 153
Methodist Protestant Church 163
Metz 303
Metz Baptist Church 167
Military History of County 204
Mingo . 339
Mingo M. E. Church 157
Mingo Trust & Savings Bank 264
Mining 31
Mirage 30
Miscellaneous Commands 219
Miscellaneous Items 360
Mob Law Spirit 379
Model School House 125
Monroe 291
Monroe Baptist Church 167
Monroe City, State Capital 371
Monroe Congregational Church 175
Monroe Newspapers 150
HISTORICAL INDflX.
Monroe Savint;> Uaiik -- -^1
Mormon Church — ^84
Mound Prairie, Early Times 411
Mound Prairie Township 300
Mt. Pleasant M. E. Church 159
Murphy 288
N
Xative Groves 29
Natural Features -'
Newburg •'^^
Ncwburg Congregational Church 176
Newspapers of Jasper County 143
Newton 269
Newton & Monroe Railroad 112
Newton & Northwe>tern Railroad — 114
Newton Banks 260
Newton Baptist Church 164
Newton Business in 1866 272
Newton Business in 1911 273
Newton Business Men's Ass'n 283
Newton City Officials 280
Newton City Schools 121
Newton Congressional Church 173
Newton Daily News 147
Newton Disciples Church 179
Newton Electric Light Plant 279
Newton Fire Department 278
Newton. First Buildings 270
Newton. First Events 271
Newton Flouring Mills 274
Newton Herald 146
Newton Lutheran Church 185
Newton Methodist Church 155
Newton Municipal History 276
Newton Newspapers 144
Newton Normal College 141
Newton. Original Plat 270
Newton Postoffice 275
Newton Presbyterian Church 168
Newton Public Library 281
Newton Record 147
Newton Savings Bank 261
Newton Surveyed 270
Newton Town Lots 269
Newton Township 346
Newton L'. P. Church 172
Newton Water Works 279
Nintii <avalry 219
Normal <'ollege 141
O
Occupations of Students 124
Odd Fellows 196
Officers of County, 1911 87
Officers of Townships 98
Old Settlers' Society 375
Organization of Jasper County 44
Organization of Townships 52
Organizing Election 47
Oswalt 341
P
Palo Alto Presbyterian Church 169
Palo Alto Township 342
Panic of 1857 258
Patriarchs Militant 197
Patrons of Husbandry 106
People's State Bank, Baxter 265
Physicians, Early 248
Physicians, Present 255
Population 377
Postoffices of Jasper County 379
Poweshiek 40
Poweshiek Township 337
Prairie City 311
Prairie City Agricultural Society 105
Prairie City Congregational Church — 174
Prairie City Disciples Church 181
Prairie City M. E. Church 161
Prairie City States Bank 263
Presbyterian Churches 168
Present Bar __ _ 247
Present Court House 83
Present Physicians 255
Presidential Vote 89
Press of Jasper County 143
Prohibition 365
Prosecuting Attorneys 96
Prosperous Times of Fifties 256
R
Railroad, First 109
Railroad Mileage 115
Rainfall 102
Reaper Accident 321
Reasnor 344
Reasnor M. E. Church 160
Recorders 94
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Reformed Church 186
Religious History of County 152
Reminiscences 403
Reminiscences, Old Court House 407
Representatives 91
Richland Township ^ 336
Road Drag Law 87
Rock Creek Township __ 304
Royal Arch Masons 192
Rural School Corporations 127
Rushville M. E. Church 159
Sacs 37
Safe Robbery, 1868 383
Savings Bank of Newburg 263
School Corporations 127
School Finances, Early 119
School Fund Commissioners 96
School Houses, Early 118
School Laws 117
School Statistics 128
School Townships 126
Schools in 1870 125
Seal of County 87
Second Court House 81
Senators, State 91
Senators, U. S. 90
Seventh Cavalry 218
Seventh-day Adventist Church 189
Severs 303
Sheriffs 92
Sherman Township 356
Society of Friends 188
Spanish-American War 223
Specie Payment 257
State Capital in Jasper 371
Stage Roads, Early 362
State Savings Bank, Baxter 264
State Savings Bank, Monroe 262
State Senators 91
Streams of Jasper County 27
Sully 333
Sully Congregational Church 175
Superintendents of Schools 96
Supervisors Id, 96
Supervisors' Districts 99
Surveyors 93
Surveys, Government 52
Swamp Lands, Drainage of 11
T
Tax Books, 1910 79
Teachers' Institutes 129
Temperance Election, Unique 365
Temperatures 33
Tenth Infantry 211
The Hamlin Affair 380
The Havelocks 309
The Pioneers 61
Third Infantry 210
Thirteenth Infantry 212
Thirty-seventh Infantry 216
Thomas, Darius 135
Tool, Adam 54
Tool's Chapel 156
Tool's Tavern 57
Total Eclipse of 1869 369
Township Line Changes' 51
Township Officers __" 98
Township Organizations 52
Townships Laid Oflf 50
Trail of Dragoons 42
Treasurers, County 94
Treaties with Indians 38
Turner 305
Twenty-eighth Infantry 215
Twenty-second Infantry 213
Twenty-third Infantry 214
u
Underground Railroad 373
Union Cemetery 282
Unique Temperance Election 365
United Brethren Church 172
United Presbyterian Churches 169
United States Senators 90
Universalist Church 182
V
Valeria 340
Valeria Cyclone , 399
Valeria M. E. Church 157
Value of Bread 69
Vandalia 314
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Vandalia Baptist Church 166
Ventriloquism 398
Village Plats, 1900 379
Village Plats of the County 360
Volunteer Roster of County 210
Volunteering for War 206
Vote on Constitutional Amendment-. 366
W
War Death-roll 221
War Mass Meetings 206
Washington Precinct 52
Washington Township 339
Weather Conditions 33
Wild Game 62
Wild Turkeys 288
Winter of 1848-9 406
Winter of 1856-7 407
Wittemberg Congregational Church. 177
Wittemberg Manual Labor College 129
Wolf Hunting 62
Wonderful Mirage 30
Y
Yield, per acre, Farms 101
Young Men's Christian Association.. 189
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX
A
Adamson, Abraham 800
Adamson, William 485
Adkains, Merit W. 1299
Adkins, Martin 1062
Agar, H. W. 813
Allan, Fred ' 1077
Allan, John 1140
Allen, George M. 512
Allfree, Henry I. 927
Altemeier, Edward C. • 899
Altemeier, William J. 837
Anderson, Hans P. 1008
Andreas, Fred C, Jr. 690
Arnold, Rev. Joseph 663
Arnold, Raford L. 670
Auten, A. C. 607
Awtry, Emmet 428
B
Bailey, R. H. 490
Bailey, William E. 1237
Bain, Fred 1293
Baker, Albert I. — — 510
Baker, B. F. 1296
Bale, Leo P. 1230
Barbee, Christopher C. 1134
Barbee, J. Clifford 1348
Bateman, Mark W. 864
Battels, Beriah 519
Battles, Ephraim C. 1312
Bean, Eugene 990
Beard, E. J. H. 448
Benson, Arthur H. 1297
Benson, Willard H. 1065
Berry, Albert D. 1093
Bishop, Charles S. 1304
Black, Isaiah W. 736
Blackledge, Virgil 1171
Blakely, Z. W. 487
Blanford, George W. '^77
Bond, Reece 1036
Bond, Richard E. 1037
Bond, William 846
Booth, Judson S. 1284
Borts, Eli W. 1340
Boyd, William M. 514
Boyle, James 1074
Braley, Claude A. 1068
Brantner, Jacob A. 1287
Bridges, Charles H. 602
Brokaw, Andrew J. 460
Brown, Rev. Elijah S. 888
Brown, James M. 1020
Brown, John S. 1027
Brown, Matthew 1311
Buhrow, Christian W. 850
Bump, Benjamin L. 1256
Burdick, Charles 1225
Burkey, Peter 1172
Burnham, Joseph A. 885
Burroughs, William H. 1047
Butler, George C. 1241
Butler, Joseph L. 648
Byal, Henry 1113
Byal, William J. 1166
C
Callison, Erville T. 1300
Campbell, Abner B. : 1355
Campbell, Ira A. 1335
Campbell, William M. 1127
Campbell, Willis 1 120
Cams, Isaiah B. 503
Carpenter, Frank 938
Carpenter, Oscar O. 1290
Carrier, Abram 979
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Carson, Mrs. Bruce 1023
Carver, Benjamin 1231
Castner. George 1262
Caulfield. Thomas 1206
Chambers, Preston 872
Chapman, Albert S. 442
Christenson, Fred 1308
Church, David W. 896
Churchill, Howell L. 1178
Churchill, Levi M. 908
Clark, Lyman C. 737
Claussen, John 939
Clements, William G. 421
Cleverley, Frank E. 1116
Cline, Charles C. 866
Coakley, John 567
Coffey, F. J. 935
Colfax, Hotel 667
Connelly, Charles H. 1358
Connelly, Fred D. 1163
Conwell, Carlos 1180
Conwell, Orville E. 1277
Cool, Frank C. 1102
Cool, Melville J. 1122
Cool, Peter J. 1215
Cooper, William R. 549
Couch, Frank 1346
Cozad, Felix W. 629
Craig, William A. 834
Craven, David H. 898
Crawford, John H. 1090
Crawford, W. J. 1156
Cross, Jesse 1086
Cushatt, John W. 1351
Custer, Charles R. 956
Custer, John W. 957
D
Dales, William 1 687
Davidson, R. P. 1223
Dawson, Isaac M. 1161
DeBolt, Joseph 644
DeBruyn, Frank K. 853
DeBruyn, William C. 1072
Decatur, Samuel 738
Dejong, John J. 1273
Dennis, C. D. 565
Dennis. W. L. 445
Denniston, W. E. 447
Densmore, Frank W. 1352
DePenning, Peter 1056
Deppe, Benjamin F. 1144
Deppe, William A. 1139
Diehl, George 1150
Dodd, Charles E. 1333
Dodd, Dennis 1275
Dodd, Frank J. 1255
Dodd, Fred 1181
Dodd, Samuel P. 1109
Dodd, Ulysses 1331
Dodd, Warren 1258
Donahue, James P. 667
Dotson, Eli E. 464
Duncan, E. L. 798
E
Earley, Carrie L. 563
Earley, George G. 560
Earp, Walter M. 121
Eastman, James 582
Eaton, Frederick A. 941
Edmundson, David 585
Edwards, John W. 1186
Efnor, Henry S. 605
Efnor, Oscar E. 1003
Emery, John M. 492
Engle, Perry 425
Esmeyer, Barney 828
Evans, George 742
Evans, Mrs. Joanna V. 741
Eyerly, Josiah B. 688
F
Failor, Samuel 1011
Fales, John M. 544
Feldschneider, Frederick S. 1362
Finch, David 613
Flanagan, Owen J. 1301
Fleck, David S. 1197
Fowler, L. E. 1208
Forsyth, Allen W. 1038
France, William H. 960
French, Andrew 988
Frizzell, Walter E. 923
Fugard, Judson H. 430
Fugard, Noble J. 608
Fuller, Oliver B. 1334
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
G
Galusha, Simeon H. 452
Gates, Alvin C. 508
Gates, Margaret I. 848
Gates, Sumner E. 848
Gauch, August 1133
Gearhart, Herley G. 830
Gearhart, William H. 854
Geise, Adolph 1106
Geise, H. A. 1176
Gibford, Daniel L. 541
Gillespie, A. D. 964
Gillespie, Elmer L. 934
Gilson, Benjamin S. 638
Gipson, Albert A. 1242
Gipson, Alfred D. 1244
Gipson, George H. 1246
Goodhue, Edward P. 554
Goodhue, George C. 1216
Goodwin, Edwin J. 1146
Gorrell, Joseph R. 111
Gove, William S. 435
Greenlief, Charles E. 683
Greenlief, Leonard A. 578
Guessford, W. M. 463
Guthrie, A. T. 932
H
Hager, August 1124
Hager, Fred 1317
Hager, Gustav A. 1165
Haines, Edwin S. 790
Haley, Daniel 1269
Hall, A. W. 604
Hallam, Eathel L. 1303
Hamilton, William F. 1111
Mummer, Marion R. 529
Hampton, Russell R. 1155
Hanke, Dallas 1006
Hans, George A. 1016
Hanson, George E. 1211
Harding, J. P. 1201
Harmon, L. T. 654
Harre, Otto : 1341
Hart, George C. 456
Harvey. John H., Sr. 660
Hasselbrink, Christoph 845
Hawkins, J. C. 637
Hayes, Andrew J. 711
Helming, Thomas 1078
Hendricks, Fred 697
Hendricks, George 696
Henry, Ebenczer W. 949
Herwehe, Henry 943
Herwehe, Jacob 1193
Hews, George 704
Hews, John 588
Hiatt, John M. 580
Hickey, James 953
Hickman, George W., Jr. 479
Highley, Alva A. 723
Hill, Bert 1286
Hill, Charles E. 1067
Hill, Philip S. 1083
Hill, William E. 619
Hitchler, George W. 887
Hodges, Pleasant 1220
Holdsworth, William H. 1043
Holtz, John S. 651
Horn, Joe 426
Horsford, John G. 747
Hotchkin, John 783
Howard, Andrew H. 642
Hummel, James M. 841
Hummel, John P. 973
Hut son, Lawrence 1239
I
Irwin, Emmor E. 666
J
Jeffers, Thomas J. 1138
Jeffries, Arthur W. 109<^
Jennings, Charles H. 598
Jennings, W. E. 876
Jensen, Herman H. 847
Jensnia, Andrew D. 901
Jensma, Sicco J. 1055
Jickling. John D. 1142
Jickling, William R. 822
Johnson, Albert 826
Johnson, Jervis C. 858
Johnson, W. S. 972
Jones, John N. 1203
Jones, Loyd D. 92S
Jones, Thomas M. 909
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
K
Kanne, Frederick A. 1084
Kanne, Levi H. 1169
Kartchner, John C. 1152
Kelley, Thomas F. 1190
Kelly, Jeremiah 819
Kelly, John 734
Kelton, George B. 1061
Kennington, John M. 518
Kennington, L. S. 516
Kimberley, Frank 1148
Kimberley, William 1126
Kintz, Charles E. 1325
Kintz, Commodore P. 1319
Kintz, Oley A. 1294
Kitchel, Ed M. 1330
Kitchel, Warren A. 1022
Kitchin, Mrs. Sarah 978
Kline, William M. 1205
Kling. Philip 659
Kling, William G. 1250
Kling. William J. 1014
Klopping, Henry W. 871
Klyn, William 1196
Kooistra, Herman W. 836
Kooistra, John 1364
Korf, H. C. 536
Krampe, August 1153
Kroh, Henry L. 816
Krueger, Henry 1249
Krueger, Theodore 1248
Krueger, William 1248
Lamb, Richard 474
Lanil..Tt, Elliott E. 438
Lamphier. Daniel 786
Landmesser, Nicholas 702
Lane. George 1354
Lawrence, Avery T. 824
Lee, James 1009
Lenz, Carl 1069
Leonard, Joseph A. 1328
Lewis, Martin L. 657
Libolt, Hiram C. 748
Lindsley, H. A. 1253
Lister, Alfred 856
Lister, Arthur 505
Lister, James 501
Livingston, Arch 907
Livingston, William O. 902
Loar, George W. 1360
Logsdon, Franklin G. 1101
Logsdon, Smith C. 1252
Long, Frank 1092
Long, George 1324
Longley, Lyman A. 808
Lotts, William M. 571
Loupee, W. F. 930
Lufkin, Albert 646
Lufkin, Benjamin 1075
Lunt, Moses B. 1049
Lust, Alfred T. 715
Lust, Elmer 1001
Lust. John W. 713
Mc
McCann, Rev. Thomas J. 557
McConkey, Charles C. 458
McCord, Milton A. 471
McElroy, W. O. 496
Mclntire, Charles E. 1259
McKinney, William B. 912
McLaughlin, E. M. S. 624
McLellan, Belding R. 679
McVay, Warren ^ 600
M
Macmillan, Albert S. 1004
Macy, Charles O. 879
Macy, E. B. 921
Maggard, George A. 1214
Maggard, Henry H. 1315
Malmberg, Ed P. 720
Mark, Frances A. 1302
Mark. Samuel 1302
Marshall, George F. 904
Marshall, William J. 895
Mason, George E. 1247
Matteson, Frank E. 1270
Mendenhall, E. P. ,.__ 976
Meredith, Harlan 962
Meredith, Oliver C. 780
Meyer, A. C. 1344
Meyer, John F. 840
Miller, August G. 4 843
BIOGRAPHICAI. INDEX.
Miller, George W. 857
Miller, Robert 1357
Miller, William J. 1136
Millgate, George 1050
Moore, Barrett E. 551
Morgan, Charles H. 811
Morgan, V. H. 523
Morgan, Walter J. 475
Morris, Robert M. 882
Morrison, Arthur S. 829
Morrison, H. S. 621
Moss, John 500
Mowry, Ross R. 432
Murdock, William S. 861
Murphy, J. W. 924
Myers, Oliver P. 040
N
Newcomer, John 1 168
Newell, Clifton D. 1307
Newell, George W. 832
Newell, Herbert E. 672
Newell, S. H. 863
Newton, George W. 441
Nichols, Miss Hannah 656
Nirk, W. C. 805
Noah, Calvin 1080
Noah, Henry 1174
Nolin, Cyrus 958
Nolin, William H. 591
Norton, C. P. 1194
O
Ogg, Mason C. 891
Oldham, James A. 920
Ortwig, Charley B. 791
Owings, J. B. 528
P
Pahre, Henry F. 700
Parmenter, George D. 673
Parsons, Hess D. 1280
Pashan, Charles 1298
Patterson, John 919
Paul, John S. 1104
Paul, William 851
Pease, George H. 1226
Pendleton, Logan 730
Penquite, Maynard E. 635
Pentico, Peter P. 1040
Perin, George A. 1123
Perrin, Henry A. 954
Perry, Harrison W. 1160
Phelan, Daniel 1034
Phillips, Thomas R. 495
Phipps, P'elix L. 1070
Pierce, George P. 823
Poage, James R. 1129
Porter, Harry W. 915
Porvin, William C. 472
Potter, Rev. John 792
Price, Frederick O. 1158
Q
Quire, Charles E. 1053
R
Ramsey, E. B. 525
Reckler, Frederick A. 677
Reed, Albert H. 538
Rees, Spencer H. 633
Reid, Lewis D. 653
Reynolds, Hayden 558
Reynolds, John W. 573
Reynolds, Victor 968
Richardson, Fred 799
Rippey, Francis J. , 1236
Rippey, William F. 1264
Robb, Wilson M. 985
Robinson, Ralph 465
Rodgers, Joseph R. 592
Rohrdanz, Fred 709
Romans, Bert A. 694
Rorabaugh, Frederick O. 910
Rorabaugh, John M. 911
Ross, Charles F. 944
Ross, Frank B. 1349
Rush, Melvin 906
Ryan, Rev. James E. 583
S
Saak, Herman, Jr. 1108
Saak. Louie 1175
Sacred Heart Church 557
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Sanderson, Benjamin 884
Saut-rnian. Charles F. 631
Saunders, Charles H. 1000
Schmitt, Henry 743
Schmitt, Jacob 74U
Schnell, John W. 812
Schnell, Louis C. 1279
Schnug, Henry P. 685
Schultz, Lewis F. 994
Schultz, William C. H. 724
Schultze, William 699
Schumann, August C. 892
Schweinebart, Frederick S. 1342
Scott, Hugh 443
Scott, Robert A. 576
Scoville, Charlie B. 969
Sellman, Frank 491
Shaffer, Tobias 499
Sharp, Henry D. 803
Shaw, Samuel W. 965
Sherbon, Florence B. 681
Sherbon, John B. 681
Sherman, John H. 749
Signs, J. Emery 1199
Signs, John W. 1327
Signs, Lee 1098
Silwold, Henry 470
Simpson, John 874
Simpson, George W. 616
Sitler, Joseph R. 626
Skinner, Herbert K. 1024
Slaght, Nellie 454
Slavens, Jesse . 575
Sloanaker, Chester 534
Small, George A. 1096
Smith, Alexander 732
Smith, 1. S. 797
Smith, John 675
Smith, Thomas, Jr. 476
Snider, Amos 1184
Southern, John W. 1337
Sparks, Jerry W. 835
Sparks, John H. 936
Sparks, Stephen J. 868
Stark, James • 1032
Starr, Benson 728
Stevens, Squire W. __1243
Stewart, Robert N. 1200
Stinson, Thomas 1210
Stolte, Louis 784
Strain, David W. -— 744
Stratton, Joseph T. 1119
Streeter, Thomas A. .1266
Sullons, William F. -1058
Sumpter, William H., Jr. 1204
Swalwell, Jay B. 1183
Swalwell, Thomas 1288
Swearingen, Frank W. 788
Swigart, George W. 1030
Sylvester, Lanham T. 1052
T
Talbot, Warren N. 1028
Terpstra, Dow W. 992
Terpstra, Harry D. 692
Terpstra, Watson V. 707
Tharp, John W. 880
Thomas, H. A. 669
Thompson, Clarence E. 1188
Thompson, John W. 1321
Thorp, W. T. 1081
Tice, Madison 488
Tice, William M. 1278
Tiffany, Carl 1314
Tiffany, Fremont L. 1261
Tiffany, Ray 1309
Tipton, David G. 1117
Tool, John H. 714
Tool, Quinn H. 987
Tough, James 795
Tramel, Frank W. 1228
Tramel, James J. 1114
Tramel, Walter O. 1338
Tramel, William 1095
Tramel, W^illiam A. : 1191
Trease, Joseph S. 1066
Trussel, James 1221
Turnbull, William M. 1046
Turner, Alice B. S. 483
Turner, James K. 610
Turner, Josiah P. 595
Turner, Lewis C. S. 480
Turner, Marce 735
Turner, Mrs. Mary C. P. 806
Turner, O. J. 1088
V
Vance, Gershom 916
Vandermast, John 966
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Vandike, W. R. 1232
Van Epps, Harmon V. 946
Van Kampen, Jacob, Jr. 1283
Vanscoy, Milton 1015
Vansice, John M. 1272
Varenkamp, John M. 1044
Veach, James T. 1218
Victoria Sanatorium 681
W
Walker, George W. 831
Waring, Emal L. 975
Warner, G. H. 650
Watt, William 817
Weaver, Jacob F. 570
Weaver, Gen. James B. 417
Welle, Henry 745
Wells, John P. 1235
Wells, L. A. 587
Wendt, August 478
Westfall, Lee C. 820
Wheatcraft, John 815
Wheeler, Orville A. 860
Wheeler, Vernon S. 999
Whitcomb, Daniel W. 614
Whitehead, Fred 970
Whitehead, George G. 1031
Whittaker, John E. 1060
Wiggin, Andrew J. 593
W'ilcox, Edward 997
Wildman, Charles W. 1041
Willemsen, Henry 717
Williams, Samuel P. 502
W^illiams, Wilford 1064
Williamson, Warren A. 1291
Wilson, Alfred O. 1131
Wilson, Jeremiah W. 951
Wilson, John N. 981
Winn, Charles W. 507
Witmer. Jacob R. 623
Woodrow, John R. 984
Woodrow, Joseph M. 433
Woody, John M. 894
Wormley, George W. 1018
Wright, C. B. 957
Z
Zachary, Hartwell 718
Zollinger, J. R. 522
Zwank, Ira 721
RECENT JASPER COUNTY COURT HOUSE
-i^
If t
'X
f'll ^""i-
V ■• f •'
* f i~?ri%Ti
JASPER COUNTY COURT HOUSE
HISTORICAL
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
One of the most interesting, as well as useful, studies to those of all ages
is that of general and local history. Especially is this true when the historian
treats of a county or state as it existed in its primitive state; tells how it was
peopled, and enters into detail in relation to the life and general manners of
its pioneer settlers. There is ever a peculiar fascination about the rude life of
the early settlers of a country. The freedom of action, the unconstrained man-
ner with which they receive one and all, and their generous hospitality, is
indeed fascinating.
It may be stated that sixty-eight years ago the part of Iowa comprising
Jasper county was an unbroken wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts of
the forest, wild birds of the air, and the no less wild red men, who roamed at
will over the broad prairies, fishing in the streams or hunting game that
abounded on every hand. They seemingly cared nothing for the morrow — sim-
ply lived for the present. The thought of the "pale face" penetrating this
beautiful section had not yet seriously disturbed them, and so they continued
on in their daily life of hunting and fishing, with occasionally a short war
between tribes to relieve the monotony of their existence. But the time was
soon to come when these Indians were to surrender up their lands and be
pushed on toward the setting sun. All nature was soon to be transformed by
civilized man's hand and brain. The fair prairies and sweet scented wild
flowers, painted in all their beauty by the hand of God, must be broken up by
the husbandman, and where wild flower and grass grew must wave the golden
grain of another and more advanced type of mankind.
A little more than three score years ago all here was a wilderness; the
soil had been unvexed by the plow, and the woodman's axe had never been
heard in this "green glad solitude." The cabin of the settler, its smoke curl-
ing heavenward, with an air inviting the weary traveler to come and rest.
26 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
was not to be seen, nor even the faintest trace of real civilization, but instead
the boundless sea of prairie grass, while here and there might have been seen
the Indian wig^vam down by the river side.
Behold, how changed the scene from that of the year 1843, when Adam
M. Tool and his little band of comrades first saw this fair and fertile domain.
There were the following eras of development: The true pioneer settlement;
the Civil war period ; the railroad era and present highly advancd condition of
the first decade of the twentieth century. Where once the wigwam of the
Indian stood in the forties, a palatial-like residence is seen today ; where then
stood the sons of the forest gathered together for the worship of Manitou,
the "Great Spirit," the handsome church edifice is now pointing heavenward
and therein worship is now had by the white race, using the worship of their
fathers and praying to the Most High, as they understand divinity. Change,
wonderful change, is written on every hand. Just how this great transforma-
tion has been wrought out, the various steps by which the wilderness has been
made to blossom like the rose, is the pleasant task and duty of the historian to
show : and in the following pages the attempt is made, with the hope that the
facts contained therein may be of interest, and the lessons of the past may
be instructive to each and every reader of this work.
CHAPTER 11.
NATURAL FEATURES TOPOGRAPHY MINING.
Before entering into the history of this county, as made by the present
race of men, or even before mentioning briefly the Indian occupants of this
portion of Iowa, it will be well to view the country as it came from the hand
of the Almighty.
Of the natural features of Jasper county, let it be stated that the north-
eastern part of the county lies in the sub-carboniferous group, classified by
Professor White, the western limit being the outcropping of a bed of sand
rock near KJbllogg, which is traced in a direction from southeast to north-
west. This rock, which forms an excellent building stone, is the floor of
the vast coal basin of Iowa and is exposed in many places throughout the
county. In the southern part of the county limestone of an excellent quality is
found. Clays of good grade are found throughout the county, from which
excellent building brick have been manufactured from time to time. In
places it is very suitable for the making of crockery and fire brick.
The soil is a vegetable mold, evenly mixed with a finely ground sand,
with some traces of aluminous matter. It is almost everywhere fully one foot
deep on the uplands, while in the valleys and creek bottoms it is many feet in
depth, and for this reason the wagon roads in the pioneer and even later
times were almost impassable in wet seasons.
At Monroe the elevation from the sea level is stated by good authority
to be 624 feet and that of Prairie City is 635 feet, while at Newton the survey
shows an altitude of 940 feet. The water in the Skunk river at the crossing
of the railroad track is 753 feet above sea level and the grade at Colfax is
763 feet. From above it is seen that the surface and altitudes in various sec-
tions of Jasper county are varied and uneven.
STREAMS OF JASPER COUNTY,
The rivers, creeks and springs of any given section of the country are
ever highly prized by the stranger, as well as by the actual settler, who knows
he is in a goodly land whenever he sees streams and at least a moderate
quantity of timber. One stream in particular in Jasper county has made a
28 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA,
history for itself that is known from ocean to ocean, and that is the Skunk, the
south fork of which enters Poweshiek township on section 9, and by action of
the county authorities was made the southern boundary of Poweshiek, Sher-
man, Palo Alto and Elk Creek townships, and the northern boundary of
Washington, JMound Prairie and Fairview. Its Indian name was "Chicaqua,"
meaning an ofifensive odor, and it is said to be the same in Indian dialect as
"Chicago," both rivers deriving their name from the wild onion which the
moist character of the soil along both streams allowed to grow in great abund-
ance. Ever since the early settlement this stream and its bottom lands have
been a terror to travelers. The soil in the bottom is very deep and porous,
and when the frost is leaving in the spring or after heavy rains, the bottom
becomes one long mud-hole into which the early-day immigrant passed
through with fear and trembling and thought himself in luck if indeed he
escaped without being pulled out at least three or more times. This was
known and dreaded by people from Maine to California. At an early day
the Skunk river was wont to raise out of its banks after a hard rain storm
with great rapidity, and many a traveler has passed over with water belly
deep to the stage coach teams. But with the development of the country
this has largely passed away. The lands are properly drained, bridges erected
far above the high water mark and light approaches made, so that no one
dreads the crossing of what was in. the fifties and sixties a dangerous proposi-
tion. So famous was this bottom away back about Civil war days, that
Harper's Weekly contained an illustration of crossing the "Skunk Bottoms,"
in which a stage coach loaded with passengers were sitting swamped in the
mud, waiting for a pioneer farmer, who is seen approaching in the distance
with a yoke of oxen to help the weary horses in pulling the coach to firm
ground. It is said, however, that the profanity occasioned could not be il-
lustrated by Harper's artist.
The North Skunk takes its source in Marshall county, flows through
Malaka, Kellogg and the southwest corner of Rock Creek townships ; thence
through the center of Richland, and so on through the northeast portion of
Lynn Grove township.
Sugar creek rises in Hickory Grove township, waters the eastern part of
Rock Creek and Richland townships, passing out on section 25.
Rock creek rises in Marshall county, flows throug'h Honey Grove and
Rock Creek and discharges into North Skunk river in Richland.
Coon creek rises in Mariposa and is a branch of the North Skunk.
Burr and AUoway creeks rise in Mariposa and empty into the North
Skunk river in Kellogg township.
JASPE6 COUNTY, IOWA. 29
Indian creek rises mainly in Clear Creek township and flows into South
Skunk river in the southwest part of Sherman township.
Cherry creek is made up largely of confluents in Malaka and Newton
townships, discharging into South Skunk river in section 29, of Palo Alto
township.
Elks creek gathers its waters of several smaller streams east of the city
of Newton, flowing through Buena Vista and Elk Creek townships into
Mahaska county.
Squaw creek heads in the southern portion of Mound Prairie township
and flows into the South Skunk river a mile and one-half west of Colfax.
Watkins creek rises in Washington township, passes through Des Moines,
then into Marion county.
Calhoun creek takes its rise at Prairie City, drains the east portion of
Des Moines township, passes into the southwest part of Fairview township,
where it enters Marion county.
Warren creek rises in the south part of Mound Prairie township and
'enters South Skunk river in the northern part of Fairview township.
Besides these there are numerous lesser streams hardly large enough to
have a dignified place on the map of the county, yet which at times, especially
at an early day, were streams of no small consequence. For agricultural and
stock raising purposes the county has none too many of these streams, the
waters of which make glad the heart of man and are duly appreciated by the
"cattle of the thousand hills."
THE NATIVE GROVES.
One of the beauties of Jasper county, at an early date, were its numerous
natural groves of excellent timber, among which may be mentioned the fol-
lowing :
Hixson's grove, as known and named by the pioneers, is three miles to
the south of Newton.
Adamson's grove is really the southern portion of Hixon's.
Vowell's grove is two miles to the west of Newton.
Hammer's grove is four miles northeast of Newton on the North Skunk
river.
Slaughter's grove is to the south of the Main Skunk river and east of
Colfax.
Lynn grove is situated in Lynn Grove township and a part extends into
Kellogg.
30 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Black Oak grove and White Oak grove are divided from Lynn grove by
the North Skunk river.
Shepherd's grove is on the south side of the Skunk river, eight miles
south of Newton City.
Tool's grove, the timber land north and east of Monroe.
Indian Creek grove and Clear Creek timber, the wooded lands in the
northwest portion of the county.
A WONDERFUL MIRAGE IN 1 859.
During the month of August, 1859, H. Ballinger wrote the following
graphic description of a beautiful mirage seen by himself and wife in this
county. Webster defines a mirage as "An optical atmospheric illusion by
which objects at great distances are presented in an inverted form." But it is
well known that many such strange phenomena appear without the image
being inverted, as in this case, as well as several seen by the writer in northern
central Iowa in the seventies. The item referred to as from the pen of Mr,
Ballinger is :
"I live about fourteen miles southeast of Newton, and about one mile
west of me runs the North fork of Skunk river. Five miles farther west runs
Elk creek, and still farther west runs the South fork of Skunk river. Now a
person standing in the door of my residence and looking westerly over these
streams and divides can only distinctly see North Skunk and the eastern
slope of the divide between it and Elk creek, and over its summit the extreme
tops of the trees comprising the groves of Elk creek. But the country or
divide between Elk creek and South Skunk is not visible to the eye, being hid
entirely from the first divide mentioned at ordinary times. But yesterday
morning, a little before six o'clock, I happened to cast my eyes westward and
to my surprise I beheld Elk Creek grove and the surrounding country as well
as the divide between it and South Skunk apparently elevated on an inclined
plane of slight elevation. The trees of the grove could be distinctly seen from
their top to their roots and appeared to be much nearer to us (my wife was
now a spectator with me) than formerly; whereas, before, the extreme tops
of the trees could only be seen from our position, and houses we had not seen
before took their places majestically in this beautiful panorama and seemed
also singularly plain, distinct and nearer to us. Yet I do not think we had
the satisfaction of seeing it at its best, for the whole affair settled down out
of sight in a few minutes after our discovery. A better time, I think, would
have been about sunrise or a little after."
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. JI
THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY.
It is generally understood that coal in Jasper county was first discovered
on the claim of Hugh Patterson, in 1847, it having been noticed cropping out
in the bed of a small stream crossing his claim, since known as Coal creek. It
was also found while digging a well near Vandalia soon after this.
In 1878 it was reported in a former history of the mining interests of the
state that the best developed coal mine in Jasper county was that owned by
the Jasper Coal Company, a half mile from the main track of the railroad.
Several rooms were opened and work progressed rapidly. Fire damps were
never known in these mines, but black damps, or carbonic acid gas. was
sometimes encountered. Seventy-five cents a ton was paid for mining and the
men made about three dollars a day.
Mines were also in operation in Palo Alto, operated largely by English
miners, who clung to customs that had obtained in England for hundreds of
years.
In the south part of this county the mines were being operated by Scotch-
men, and there a large per cent, of the workmen were strict Presbyterians in
their religious faith. These miners worked at coal mining winters and tilled
the soil of their fanns in summer time.
In 1874 the county had twenty-three "coal banks.'' as they were then
styled. One hundred and ninety-five men were employed in such mines.
Thirty-one thousand tons were mined and the value was placed at seventy
thousand eight hundred dollars.
The coal inspector in 1876 reported twenty-eight mines in the county in
operation, all well managed and lawfully worked. He reported the coal as
being from thirty inches to four feet in thickness, the best grade being taken
from the Fairview mines. Other excellent mines are named as being located
in Palo Alto, Sherman, Mound Prairie, Pmveshiek and Richland. One new
mine was opened in 1877. At that date over three hundred miners were em-
ployed in Jasper county, and four hundred tons of marketable coal were
mined daily.
In 1877-78 the following mines were being operated successfully: Mound
Prairie — Bear Grove, R. N. Stewart; Sherman — Bealier. Scott Slaughter;
Poweshiek — Adsit & Company, E. G. Fish ; Fairview^-R. S. Buckley, George
Blount. James Hart, E. E. Edwards'. Marshall; Palo Alto — Newton Coal
Company, Isaac Morgan, John Riley, Jasper Coal Company, William Lister.
Snook Brothers'. Robert Davidson. Snook & Walker, James McAllister;
Richland — F. L. Downie, A. Eastman.
32 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
In 1900 it was written of the coal business in Mound Prairie district:
"Mound Prairie has made a very creditable showing in many respects. She
has kept out of politics and built no cities. She can only boast of Metz and
Seevers, but let's see what she has done. The Slaughter coal bank was dis-
covered in 1846, by a young fellow stopping at Slaughter's. He was out
hunting wild turkey one morning before breakfast, and in jumping off of a
fallen tree, slid the earth from a chunk of coal. This, so far as I know, says
the writer, was the first discovery of coal in Jasper county — a happy accident."
The state mine inspector's reports ending June 30, 1910, shows that there
were mini';g operations carried on in Jasper at that date in the following order:
"There was produced in this county 333,340 tons of coal during the year
ending June 30, 1909, and for the year ending June 30, 1910, 334,186 tons
of coal. Only one fatal accident has occurred in this county during the two
years ending June 30, 1910, and seven serious accidents.
"This county is the second largest in coal production among the counties
comprising (up to the present time) the third inspection district. Hereafter
Jasper county will be reported among the counties of the second inspection dis-
trict. Owing to the large development of mines in the third district and with
a view to more evenly divide the inspection service it was deemed best to place
Jasper county in the second district.
"Mining operations are, as heretofore, largely in the vicinity of Colfax
and Seevers, and the usual success attend these operations."
At the date of this report there were the following mining companies
operating in this county: Carson Bros' Coal Company, Newton; Hanson &
Mead Coal Company, Prairie City; John Bruce Coal Company, Monroe;
French Coal Company, Newton ; Lister Coal Company, Newton ; Snook Bros.'
Coal Company, Newton; Colfax Consolidated Coal Company; McAllister
Coal Company, Newton; Warrick Coal Company, with offices at Des Moines.
The product of these mines is all consumed by the local trade except that of the
four last named in the list, and these mines are general shippers.
The report shows that in the matter of accidents for the two years in-
cluded in the report that in Jasper county there was one fatal accident, that of
the falling and killing of Paul Binisse, a top laborer, who met death by falling
from a shaft's mouth, while working in the Colfax Consolidated Coal Com-
pany's mines. The other accidents were those of the serious injury of
Gerald Rodgers, Frank Lipovach, George Shenton and V. Tomlonvich, the
latter losing an eye and the others having broken limbs.
For the year ending June 30, 1909, the reports show that Jasper county
produced from its eleven mines 333,340 tons of coal; employed 519 miners;
other inside workmen, 191 ; outside men, 61 \ total employed, 771.
JASPER COUMV, lUWA. 33
J 11 Ihc Nc.'ir fnllowins^', ^\hich \\as for the year ending Jnne 30, 1910, the
report goes on to show that the ten coal mines then in operation produced
334,186 tons of coal; employed 493 miners; 194 other inside men; 70 outside
workmen, making a total of 757 men employed.
The figures show that in 1910 Jasper county stood hfth among the coal
producing counties of Iowa. The list of counties included in the state in-
spector's reports being in the order and rank here given : Monroe, Polk, Ap-
panoose, Mahaska, Jasper, Marion, Boone, Wapello, Dallas, Wayne, Webster,
Adams, Van Buren, Cxuthrie, Page, Keokuk, Taylor, Greene, Lucas, Warren,
vScott, Jefferson and Davis.
WEATHER CONDITIONS OF JASPER COUNTY.
The government reports secured at the bureau at Des Moines, for Jasper
county for the last third of a century, the figures are as follows, taking the
month of January for a standard winter mouth. The warmest weather and
coldest of these years has occurred since 1898, as will be observed In- the table
1>elow :
]\Iean temperature. Highest and Lowest temperature.
1879 — 12 above zero. 1899 — 48 above, 20 below zero.
1880 — 28 above zero. 1901 — 51 above. 8 below zero.
1881 — 8 above zero. 1902 — 50 above. 22 below zero.
1882 — 21 above zero. 1903 — 45 above. 8 below zero.
1883 — 24 above zero. 1904 — 47 above. 22 below zero.
1894 — 19 above zero. 1905 — 43 above. 18 below zero.
1895 — 15 above zero. 1908 — 51 above. 10 below zero.
1896—24 above zero. 1909 — 56 above. 16 below zero.
1897 — 18 above zero. 191 o — 40 above. 17 below zero.
1898 — 23 above zero. 191 1 — 32 above. 5 below zero.
The average temperature at Newton since 1878 has been in the month
of January, 18 degrees above; in February, 20 degrees above; March, 33
degrees above; April. 48 degrees above: ]\Iay, 60 degrees above: June. 70
degrees above: July, y^ degrees above: August, yz degrees above; September,
63 degrees above ; October, 5 1 degrees alw\e ; November, 34 degrees above ;
December. 22 degrees above. The average for all years and all months is 48
degrees above zero.
Another table shows that the highest temperature in the county, as indi-
cated bv the Baxter reports, in the last thirty years, was in the month of July,
1901, when it reached 107 degrees above zero: the next hottest was 99 degrees
(3)
34 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
in September. 1899, and August. 1900^ was next with 93 degrees above zero.
The coldest was reached in February. 1899. when it \\as 28 below zero; the
next lowest was in December. 1901. when it was 22 below and the next lowest
>^as in the months of January and February, 1900, when it registered 13 below.
The a\'erag"e annual rain and snow fall (precipitation as it's known in
weather table parlance) at the Xewton station from 1878 has been by years
indicated, as follows: 1878. 28 inches; 1879. -^ inches: 1880. 33 inches;
1881, 44 inches; 1882, 39 inches; 1893, 29 inches; 1894, 20 inches: 1895. 2>-
inches; 1896. 45 inches; 1897. 27 inches: 1898, 30 inches: 1899, 27 inches;
1900, 40 inches; 1901, 25 inches. The total average for these years is thirty-
three and thirty-nine hundredths inches of water.
After reading so much about the ''hard winters" of early days, it will be
of interest to read the causes for a change to milder winters. The following
is from a scientific standpoint, by the pen of Dr. Gorrell, of Newton, in 191 1 :
CLIMATIC CHANGES.
By Dr. J. R. Gorrell.
Is our climate becoming milder and our winters less severe? If so, what
is the cause. There exists a consensus of opinion among close observers of
meteorological conditions that there has been a perceptible change during the
last fifty years. We may, they say, ]je unable to discover any difference from
v^rinter to winter, but a comparison of our late winters with the winters of
ten, twenty, thirty, forty and fifty years ago. appears to justify the belief that
a gradual change is occurring in our climate.
There are those who believe that the artificial groves over Iowa and
adjoining states have contributed materially to raising the temperature during
the winter months. It is no doubt true that the rigor of the winds has been
lessened thereby, but as the absolute temperature is unaffected even by bliz-
zards, it appears improbable that the groves have any effect on the climate.
There are others who attribute our milder winters to thermal reg'ions in space
through which our solar system as a whole is passing. The solar system con-
sisting of the sun, the planets (Mercury. Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus. Xeptune ) , their satellites, the asteroids l)C'l\\ec!i the orbits of Mars
and Jupiter and all meteoric matter and comets that 1)elong to our system, is
rushing through space with a velocity of thirty-nine thousand six hundred
miles an hour, and the direction is so near a straight line that it will require
many millions of years to complete one revolution. It is therefore not impossi-
Ijle that the regions in space through A\hich we have l>een passing during the
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 35
last two. three, four or five decades has had a hig^her tem[)erature than that
through which we passed before, because we may have approached nearer to
some other sun in the sidereal system to which our solar system belongs. The
grove theory is unsatisfactory, and the effect of our movement through space
is naught else than speculation.
The heat of the surface of the earth and the atmosphere is derived almost
wholh- from the sun. If the earth is a molten mass within, the heat from that
source^ in hot springs, geysers and volcanoes (if any of these have any con-
nection with the central lieat. which is improbable) is so small that it need
not be considered in a discussion of climatic conditions and causes.
Some substances are transparent to light and heat that are opaque to
heat without light. For example, if a pane of glass is held between the face
and the sun. the heat passes through the glass and the face is burned. If the
same pane is held between the face and an intensely hot cannon ball that is
not incandescent, the glass acts as a perfect screen and no heat whatever is
felt because the glass is opaque to dark heat.
John Tyndall was the first to call the attention of scientists to the fact
that carbonic acid (carbon dioxide. C O2 ) was partially opaque to dark heat,
and to suggest its potency in producing a milder climate. The proportion of
carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere is only about one-thirtieth per cent.,
but being opaque to dark heat it absorbs the heat of the earth that otherwise
would be radiated into space, and thus acts as a blanket to keep the earth
warm. The greater the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the
thicker becomes the blanket, and the more heat it absorbs. The other con-
stituents of the atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen, are transparent to dark heat
and would therefore permit the radiation of the heat of the earth into space,
and the result would be a cold and lifeless planet.
Prior to the carboniferous era all the carbon dioxide now stored in the
coal measures of the earth, 200,000 square miles in China and Japan; 194.000
in the United States ; 35.000 in India ; 27.000 in Russia : 9.000 in Great Britain :
3,600 in Germany: 1,800 in France: 1,400 in Belgium. Spain and other coun-
tries, making a total of 471.800 square miles, was free in the atmosphere, and
in consequence thereof there existed a tropical climate extending to the poles,
as is indicated by the presence only of tropical plants in coal measures. It is
estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during that
period was from fifty to one hundred thousand times greater than the amount
now in the atmosphere, and as a result of the warm, moist climate, there
flourished during that geological era the most luxuriant growth of vegetation
the earth has ever known, and the succeeding glacial period was the logical
sequence of the withdrawal of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
36 JASPER COUNTY, k)\\ A.
Prof. Joseph LeConte, in his "Elements of Geology, " on page 617, says:
"On account of its heat absorbing properties, the carbon dioxide is vastly the
most important element affecting the climate. It now only forms about one-
thousandth part of the atmosphere. With its thermal potency it will be seen
that comparatively slight variation in the amount would produce great climatic
effects. Physicists have long recognized this fact. It is believed that doubling
the present small amount of carbon dioxide, would produce a mild climate to
the poles, and that halving the present amount would bring on another glacial
period."'
The rapid increase in the consumption of coal, and the inevitable increase
in the amount of carbon dioxide thrust into the atmosphere becomes apparent
from the following facts. The consumption of coal in the United States in
the year 1845 ^^'^^ ^'0^^'" ^""^ one-half million tons ; in the year 1864, twenty-two
million tons; in the year 1874, fifty million tons; in the year 1884, one hun-
dred and six million tons; in 1894, one hundred and fifty million tons; in
1899, two hundred and forty-three million tons. In Great Britain in the year
1845, there was consumed thirty-one million tons; in the year 1864, ninety
million tons; in the year 1874, one hundred and twenty-five million tons; in
1884. one hundred and sixty million tons; in 1894, one hundred and sixty-four
million tons; and in 1899, two hundred and ninety-five million tons. And the
rate of increase in other countries. China and Japan, India, Russia, Germany,
France, Spain, Belgium and Austria-Hungary, is approximately the same.
There is at present a concurrence of opinion among the highest authorities
that the w^orld's supply of coal would probably last two or three centuries, but
the rapidly increasing rate of consumption is becoming ominous. ''The state-
ments of former years that the supply of coal was inexhaustible were not only
false and foolish, but pernicious."
The process of combustion, and respiration, consumes oxygen and lib-
erates carbon dioxide and aqueous vapor. The incalculable combustion of coal
and oil is gradually restoring to the atmosphere the hitherto confined carbon
dioxide which when free produced a mild climate the \\orld over, and will
probably again create the same meteorological conditions of heat and moisture
that existed during the Tertiary period — a tropical climate from pole to pole.
CHAPTER 111.
CTIAXGE FROM IXDIAX TO Willi K MAX's OCCUPAXCY.
The date of the Illack Hawk war was in 183-'. and about one hnnrh-ed
years before that time the land within what is now Jasper county, Iowa, was
the huntino- oround oi the Iowa Inchans. the Sacs and the Foxes. At the time
of the Indian war just mentioned, the whole territory east of the Mississippi
river was taken from the control of the red man and g-iven over to the author-
ity of the white race, to w horn the \\ orld is indebted for its w(~inderful develop-
ment and present priceless value. The Fox Indians were mercilessly driven
from Canada, the movement for that purpose being- started in 1714. continuing
with great vigor under De Louxigney. who gave them a terrible defeat on Fox
river. In r7_'N the\' were dri\en farther to the west, and in 1746 the most of
the tribe (those who had escaped with their lives ) had crossed the Mississippi.
Subsecjuent to this the Sacs, who had formed a ur.i(~)n with the Iroquois in
New ^'ork state and had dislodged th.e Illinois tribes from their grounds,
which extended as far west as the Des Moines river, crossed the Alississippi
and also formed a close alliance with the Foxes.
The lowas were at one time identified with the Sacs of Rock River, but
for some unknown cause they separated and started out as a band independent.
The eight leading families of this tribe formed classes, or parties, known by
the name of the different animals or birds, which they chose as types or
symbols of their respective families — the eagle, the pigeon, the bear, the elk.
the beaver, the buffalo and the snake — and were known severally in their tribe
bv the ])eculiar manner in w liich they wore their hair. The Eagle family was
marked by two locks of hair on the front part of the head and one on the back
left part; the ^^'olf family had scattered bunches of hair left, representing
islands whence their families were supix)sed to have sprung: the Rear family
left one side of the hair of the head much longer than the other: the F>uffalo
familv left a strip of long hair from the front to the rear part of the head with
two bunches on each side to represent horns : and so on through all the families.
For a time the lowas occupied common hunting grounds w ith the Sacs
and Foxes, but feuds eventually sprung up between them and they became
greatlv diminished in numbers and strength by the onslaughts of their more
powerful enemies. The princii)al village of the lowas was on the Des Moines,
^8 JASPER COUNTY, JOWA.
in what is now \^an Biiren county, and on the site of the town of lowaville.
This was the scene of the great battle between the lowas and Sacs and Foxes,
in which Black liawk. then a young- man, commanded one division of the at-
tacking force. The battle resulted in the crushing defeat of the lowas. who
were driven west of the Des Moines ri\ er in dismay, having lost, in killed and
prisoners, a large portion of their former numbers.
INDIAN TREATIES.
North of the hunting- grounds of the Sacs and ]<"oxes were those of the
Sioux, a fierce and warlike nation, which often disputed possession with their
rivals in savage and bloody warfare. The possessions of these tribes were
mostlv located in ^Minnesota, but extended over a portion of northern and
western Iowa to the Alissouri river. Their descent from the north upon the
hunting- grounds of Iowa frequently brought them in collision \\ ith the Sacs
and Foxes and, after many a conflict and struggle, a boundary line was estab-
lished between them by the government of the United States in a treaty held
at Prairie du Chien in 1825. But this, instead of settling the difficulties.
caused them to (juarrel all the more in consequence of alleged trespass upon
each other's side of the line. These contests were kept up and became so un-
relenting- that in 1830 the government bought of the respective tribes of the
vSacs and Foxes, and the Sioux, a strip of land twenty miles in width on both
sides of the line and, thus throwing them forty miles apart by creating between
them a "neutral ground," commanded them to cease their histilities.
The boundary line of this as surveyed by the terms of the treaty of 1825.
was thus fixed : Commencing at the mouth of the Upper Iowa river on the
west bank of the ]\Iississippi. and ascending said Iowa river to its west fork;
thence bv the fork to its source: thence crossing the fork of Cedar river in a
direct line to the second or upper fork of the Des Moines river; thence in a
direct line to the lower fork of the Calumet river and down that ri\er to its
junction with the Missouri river.
On the 15th of July, 1830, the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States
a strip of country lying south of the above line, twenty miles in width and ex-
tending along the line aforesaid from the Mississippi to the Des Moines river.
The Sioux also ceded in the same treaty a like strip on the north line of the
boundary. Thus the United States became into possession of a portion of
Iowa forty miles in width and extending along the Clark and Cass line of
1825, from the Mississippi to the Des Moines river. This territory was known
as the "neutral ground"' and tlie tri1)es on either side of tlr.' lino were allowed
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 39
to fish and hunt on it unmolested till the W'innehagoes were moved to it in
1 841.
Thus the southern houndarx- of the "neutral ground" was estahlished to
pass through the northwest portion of Story county and Jasper became the
possession of the Sacs and Foxes under the protection of the national govern-
ment.
In 1832 the Sacs and Foxes relinquished a strip of country fifty miles
wide bordering on the Mississippi, from Minnesota to Missouri, and accepted
in exchange a reservation of four hundred sections lying along the Iowa river.
In 1836 the Indians ceded a strip lying alongside the lands relinquished in
1832, twenty-five miles wide in the center and terminating in a point at each
end. Another treaty was made with the allied tribes in 1837, by which they
agreed to dispose of all their land lying south of the neutral grounds, but the
bargain was not consummated.
The last treaty was made with the Sacs and Foxes October 1 1, 1842, and
ratified March 23. 1843. It was made at the Sacs and Fox agency (Agency
Citv) ])v John I'hamliers. commissioner on behalf of the United States. In
this treaty the Sacs and h'ox Indians "ceded to the United States all their
lands west of the Mississippi to which they had any claim or title." By the
terms of this treaty they were to be removed from the country at the expira-
tion of three years and all remaining after that were to move at their own ex-
pense. Part of them were remo\ed to Kansas in the fall of 1845, and the rest
the spring following. In the fall of 1843, "iifler the stipulation of this treaty, a
line was surveyed northward from the Alissouri state line by George W. Har-
rison, which passed by the red rocks of the Des Aloines about one mile west of
the present town of that name. The extension of the line northward very
nearly divided section 35 Fairview, through the middle. The western limit of
the town of Monroe is one mile east of the line and the residence of what later
was S. Zerley. in the same township, stands close to the line. This sur\-ey
opened about two-thirds of Jasper county for settlement and left a strip ten
and a half miles wide for the occupation of the Indians in this county.
INDIANS AND THE WHITES.
At the date of the first settlement in Jasper county the band of Indians
still hanging around the country was under the leadership of lyishkekosh. who
was strong enough to accompany Black Hawk when he visited Washington
some vears before. The work entitled "Pioneers of Marion County" is the
authority for the following concerning this chief and his people :
40 JASPER COLNtV, U)\VA.
Having- endured much privation during the winter of 1844-5. the hand
visited the little settlement at Red Rock in quest of hospitality. In the hand
was Kishkekosh and his wife; Wykoma, son of Wapello, and two wives;
Masha W'apetine and his wife, and children helonging to each family. They
were entertained at hreakfast by Mr. Mikesell. Kishkekosh. having learned
the art of dining at the national capital, passed the dishes to his hungry com-
panions with politeness, before helping himself; but when he had organized
the meeting, so to speak, the \oracious savage sat rex'ealed — he had relapsed
from civilization to barbarism and ate like all his mates. He managed five or
six cups of coffee, with solids in proportion. When pressed "to have some-
thing more." he drew his fingers across his throat, and then, in further ex-
planation, crammed it down his Avindpipe.
The Indians who had received the strip of land off the west side of Jas-
per county prepared to remove late in the autumn of 1845. Kishkekosh and
his braN'es, twenty odd in all. had stored their heavy articles at Red Rock
during the summer, not needing them while engaged in hunting. Prior to
starting west, they repaired to Red Rock and hired Mr. Mikesell to haul the
goods to camp. That night they camped where Alonroe now stands. The
weather was cold and a heavy snow fell during the night. The Indians huddled
together as close as possible to keep warm, and upon opening out in the morn-
ing a perfect cloud of steam arose. Part of ^ilikesell's oxen went astray dur-
ing the night, and he followed them clear home, the snow still continuing to
fall very fast. On returning he found the Indians all bewildered as to the
direction they should take, and it took the chief some time to ascertain the
course, when the journey was resumed and their village reached that night.
Pasishamone and his band also frequented the Skunk in this county, and
at the time of the removal of the l)and of twenty, just spoken of, the former,
with about all his braves, was at Agency City on a visit. The women, chil-
dren and old men went into camp four miles from Fort Des Moines to await
their return, which was at the beginning of winter. Then the band packed up
and followed Kishkekosh and his followers.
Another band, under the control of the famous Poweshiek, had a village
at the forks of Indian creek, in what is now Toweshiek township. Their aban-
doned wikeups remained standing two or three years after the tribe had re-
moved. These wikeups were louilt by setting corner stakes into the ground at
suitable distances for the intended building. To these were fastened poles at
top and bottom, which served as fastenings for the covering of elm bark. This
was procured by girdling the trees at the bottom and then as high as the arm
could reach, when it was slit and peeled off in one sheet. When a sufficient
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 4I
number had been procured, thc\- were punched at the ends and bound with
bark or thongs to the poles, care being taken to kip them sufficiently to make a
*
good joint. The rafters were notched and fastened to the top poles with bark
or leather and co\ered in much the same fashion as the sides.
It is related of this band that on one occasion, in 1846. they visited the
trading house kept by Rvans. alxjut a mile west of where Newton now stands,
with whom they succeeded in exchanging a pony for a keg of whisky. Aydel-
lotte, who saw them, savs they were already well saturated with fire water, and
that as soon as the transfer was effected one of them lashed the keg to his
saddle, when they all jumped on their ponies and made off on a gallop, whoop-
ing loud enough to be heard two miles !
John Green was another well known chief. He was at the head of a
small band of Pottawatomies. On one occasion he found a large lump of iron
pyrites and meeting Mr. Sparks, soon after, informed that gentleman that
he had found a gold min.e. ^Ir. Sparks, when he saw the specimen, unde-
ceived the poor fellow, who had doubtless looked ahead to a future when he
could ha\e whiskv three times a day, l)0Ught with tlie avails of his gold mine.
The liorsc stealing of that day was not all carried on by the renegade
Indians, as was sometimes thought by the pioneers, according to pioneer and
first settler William Highland, who declared that a party of bee-hunters
visited the countv in tlie summer of 1844 (the wet year) and were so unfor-
tunate as to have some horses stolen, which they laid to the Indians. He says
many cases of horse theft were charged up to Lo. the poor Indian, of which
they were guiltless. From time to time there were white men passing through
the count\-, in whom no more dependence could l)e placed than in the average
Indian. After several vears' intercourse \\ith the latter, he said he had ne\er
had any trouble with them, drunk or sober, l)ut that they seemed very friendly
and honorable to him.
iXDT AX tradi-:rs.
Two \-oung men. whose names ha\ e gone from the memory ot the early
settlers, had been traders w ith the Indian tril^es in some one or more of Iowa's
lower counties, and in the spring of 1844 erected a little shanty in a small
grove a mile north of the old "Long farm." Their stock of goods consisted
chieflv of a barrel of whiskv, diluted one-third with water for profit's sake and
not for the cause of tem])erance. As soon as the "store" was open for business
a lively trade was carried on w ith the little band of Kishkekosh. On a certain
day a dozen or more of the braves visited his place and managed to get
42 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
drunk. They then demanded more \vhisk>-. \\hich the dealer refused for fear
of serious trouble. The Indians became quarrelsome, but after persisting
some time without success they went back to their camp grumbling. Soon
thereafter they returned with a lot of raw recruits, the total number being
three times as many as at first. The traders became alarmed and endeavored
to prevent the Indians from entering the store, but the door was easily
pushed in. One of the white men knocked down three of the ugly Aluscjuakas,
but thev were ox^erpowered by the shere force of superior numbers and borne
to the floor of the shantv, where they were badly maltreated. One was badly
injured by a blow from an Indian holding in his hand a saw he chanced to get
hold of. Thev finallv made good their escape, leaving the store and its ''wet"'
contents plunder for the red men of the forest. The white men found their
way to Adam Tool's place, where they found the men all away from home,
and thev were not pitied much by the good housewife, who had no love in her
heart for wreckless liquor tlealers. They never engaged in business again in
Jasper county.
The same spring (1844) came ]\Iatthew Fish, who also began to trade
with the Indians. His place was two miles northwest of Tool's Point. He
ran a respectable place and sold no whisky to anyone. He traded three }-ears
and then sold his claim to a man named Tucker.
Later in the season of 1844 came in one Redick, and he stayed with one
of the first four settlers, ^''ance, and there he handled whatever the Indians
most wanted. l)ut only remained a few months.
Scott & Nichols visited Jasper county the same year and traded with the
Indians, doing a large whisky business. They had located the year before at
Red Rock and in the summer of that year Scott, while hunting, had trouble
\\ itli some Indians, who stole several articles from his camp south of Lvnn-
ville. This maddened the Indians, who said, "vScott, he have too much white
in his eyes." Scott left, but Xichols remained three years. His principal
purchases were ponies, the usual price l:)cing sixteen quarts of whiskv for a
first-class pony.
THE TRAIL MADE RY THE l)R.\(;()ONS.
Concerning the trail left in the march of the United States dragoons
through Jasper county, in the forties, an able writer for the Western His-
torical Companv in the seventies says :
"Soon after the treaty of 1842 had been com])]etc(l. bv the terms of
whicli the Sacs and Foxes were to be protected from expeditions from the
jAsrF.R corxTv. IOWA. 43
war-like Sionx. the government made preparations to send troops into the
new purchase for that purpose. The infantry was sent up the Des Moines
river, arriving at the Raccoon forks ]\Iay g, 1843. -^s soon as the grass had
started sufficiently, the dragoons detailed to go as scouts were sent forward
to the same point, by way of Iowa City. Their course was really due west, as
nearly as the upland of the country would admit of. and it crossed very nearly
where now stands the city of Newton. This is the first passage, so far as
can be ascertained, by white men through the central part of what became
Jasper county four years later. It would be a pleasure to record the halting
places of the little journey by this party, but it cannot now be done. The
little band hardly dreamed that the prospector's wagon was close behind, and
to them it would have been the merest imagination, and an improbable thing,
had one of the party prophesied that the day's journey they were making be-
tween Red Rock and South Skunk would in thirt}- years be marked with
three prosperous, busy towns, and that on every July day over one hundred
harvesters could be counted on either side of the trail they were then making
through the forest and prairie grass.
'"At night the camp-kettle bubbled, while the horses were picketed, the
sentinels placed and the men in dusty uniforms collected to devour their
rations. Pipes and cards were produced, and, indifferent to the future, the
men played "old sledge"' for an hour, and then, wrapping their blankets
about th6m, bivouacked beneath the stars that winked to each other, as if
they knew more about the future than the tired horsemen reposing on the
prairie grass never before crushed by the boot-heel."
CH A IT F.R ^y.
ORGAN IZATI ox OK JASPKR COUNTY.
Oriijinally. Jasper was incliKlecl in Keokuk county. It was established
January 13. 1846, and organized March 1. 1846. up to whicli time it had been
attached to Mahaska county for election and judicial purposes. It was named
in honor of Serqeant William Jasper, who won fame as a Revolutionary sol-
dier. The following- were named as the committee to locate a county seat
for the new county i>\ Jasi)er: Ricliard lusher. E. W . Kirkman and Thomas
Anderson, respectively from Wapello. Davis and Keokuk counties. The
first district court was appointed to be held at the house of Matthew D.
Sprin,qer.
The boundarv lines, as first defined, were not correctly specified by the
act of the Legislature, in that it caused the county being set apart to cover
parts of adjoining counties, as now understood. The first act of the Legisla-
ture was dated January 13. 184^). but four days later, January ijtb. the
Legislature saw its error and so amended the act as to read as follows :
■■P.eginning at the northeast corner of township Xo. 8t north, of range
Xo. 17 west; thence west to the northwest corner of township X'^o. 81 north.
of range 21 west: thence south to the .southeast corner of township X'o. 78
north, of range Xix 21 west: thence east to the southeast corner of township
Xo. 78 ni'trth. of range 17 west: thence to the place of beginning."'
TIIR OKCANrziXr, ACT.
The following is substantially the wording of tbe record of the act or-
ganizing Jasper county approved Januarx' 17. 1846:
''Section i. I'e it enacted b\- the Coimcil and House of Representatives
of the Territory of Iowa: That the counties of Jasper and Polk be and they
are hereby organized, from and after the date of March next, and the in-
habitants of said counties shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges to
which by law the inhabitants of other organized counties of the territory are
entitled, and the said counties shall constitute a part of the second iudicial
district of the territory.
"Sec. 2. That there sliall be a special election held on the first Mondav
of the month of April, at which time the county officers for said counties
JASPER COUXTV. K)\VA. 45
shall be elected: and also such number of justices of the peace and constables,
for each of said counties as may be ordered by the clerks of the court for
their respective counties.
"Sec. 3. That it shall be the duties of the several clerks of the district
court, in and for said counties, to give at least ten days' previous notice of
the time and place of holding such special election, in each of said counties,
grant certificates of election, and in all respects discharge the duties required
by law to be performed by the clerks of the boards of county commissioners
in relation to elections, until a clerk of the board of county commissioners for
their respective counties may be elected and qualified.
"Sec. 4. That it shall be the duty of the clerk of the district court, in
each of said counties, to discharge all the duties required by law to be per-
formed by sheriffs, in relation to elections, until a sheriff for their respective
counties may be elected and qualified.
"Sec. 5. That the county officers, justices of the peace and constables
elected under the provisions of this act shall hold their offices until the first
Monday in the month of August, 1846. and until their successors are elected
and qualified.
"Sec. 6. That the clerks of the district court, in and for said counties
of Jasper and Polk, may be appointed and qualified at any time after the pas-
sage of this act.
"Sec. 7. That all actions at law and equity in the district court of the
county of Alahaska commenced prior to the organization of said counties of
Jasper and Polk, where the parties, or either of them reside in either of the
counties aforesaid, shall be prosecuted to final judgment, order or decree as
fully and effectually as if this act had not been passed.
"Sec. 8. That it shall be the duty of all justices of the peace, resident
within said counties of Jasper and Polk, to return all books and papers in
their hands, pertaining to said offices, to the next nearest justice of the peace,
who may be elected and qualified for their respective counties under the pro-
visions of this act; and all suits at law. or other official business, which may
be in the hands of such justices of the peace and unfinished, shall be prosecuted
or completed by the justices of the peace to whom such business or papers
may have been returned as aforesaid.
"Sec. 9. That the judicial authorities of ^Mahaska county shall have
cognizance of all crimes or violations of the criminal laws of this territory
committed within the limits of said counties of Jasper and Polk prior to the
first dav of March next : Proxided. prosecutions be commenced under the
46 JASl'KU CurXTV. IOWA.
judicial authorities of said ^fahaska county prior to the first day of March
next.
"Sec. 10. That the said counties of Jasper and Polk shall have cog-
nizance and jurisdiction of all crimes or violations of the criminal laws of this
territorv committed prior to the first day of March next, in cases where prose-
cutions shall not have been commenced under the judicial authorities of Ma-
haska county.
"Sec. II. That the county of Marshall be and the same is hereby at-
tached to the county of Jasper for elections, revenue and judicial purposes.
"Sec. !_'. (Attached counties of Story, Boone and Dallas to Polk.)
"Sec. 13. That the several clerks of the district courts in and for the
said counties of Jasper and Polk, may keep their respective offices at any place
within their respective counties until the county seats thereof may be located.
"Sec. 14. That Richard Fisher, of the county of Wapello; E. :\1. Kirk-
ham, of the countv of Davis, and Thomas Henderson, of the county of Keo-
kuk, be and thev are hereby appointed commissioners to locate and establish
the seat of justice of the. county of Jasper.
"Sec. 15. (Appointed commissioners for Polk.)
■'Sec. 16. That said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet
at the office of the clerk of the district court in and for the county for which
seat of justice they have been appointed to locate, on the first Monday in the
month of ]\Iay next, or at such other time, not exceeding thirty days there-
after, as a majority of said commissioners may agree.
"Sec. 17. (Prescribed the oath to be administered to the commissioners.)
"Sec. 18. Said commissioners, when met and qualified, shall proceed to
locate the seat of justice of the respective counties for which they have been
appointed, and as soon as they shall have come to a determination, the same
shall be committed to writing, signed by the said commissioners and filed with
the clerk of the district court of the county in which such seat of justice is
situated, whose duty it shall be to record the same and forever keep it on file
in his office, and the place thus designated shall be the seat of justice of said
county.
"Sec. 19. (Provided that the commissioners should receive two dollars
per (lay and two dollars for every twenty miles traveled while discharging
their duties.)
"Sec. 20. That the district court for the county of Jasper shall be held
at the house of Mathew D. Springer, in said county, or at such other place as
may be designated by the board of county commissioners of said countv, until
the seat of justice may be located."
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 47
ORGANIZING ELECTION.
The duties of setting off precincts, appointing- judges, setting up notices,
etc.. were performed by a citizen of Iowa county.
At the election held in April. 1846. there were thirty-five \otes cast for
the office of sheriff', of which D. Edmundson received eighteen votes and his
opponent seventeen. Moses Lacy was one of the judges at Elk Creek pre-
cinct. The other polling places were at Tool's Point and Lynn Grove. A
return of the vote was made at Iowa City, in order to show the territorial
authorities that the county was organized to assume its rights and duties, and
also to KJnoxville, where the vote was canvassed and declared. John H.
Franklin was the messenger sent to Iowa City and Washington Fleenor to
Knoxville.
The officers chosen were : Joab Bennett. John R. Sparks and ]^Ianly
Gifford, commissioners; John H. Franklin, clerk: J. \V. Awann. treasurer;
Davidson Edmundson. sheriff; Seth Hemmer. recorder; Washington Fleenor,
probate judge.
It will be understood by the reader that the county was at first, and until
1 85 1, governed solely by the officers known as the board of commissioners;
then came the county judge system, that obtained until the county supervisor
system went into effect, under the code of that year, when the judge's powers
were limited to a sort of probate business and finally in 1868 was abolished
entirely and the office of county auditor established, and he serves as ex-
officio clerk of the board of supervisors.
FIRST MEETING OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
"Territory of Iowa, Jasper County :
■'At a special term of the board of county commissioners, in and for the
county of Jasper, in the territory of Iowa, begun and holden on the 14th day
of April, A. D. 1846. present John R. Sparks, Joab Bennett and Manly Gif-
ford, commissioners of said court; John H. Franklin, clerk of the board of
commissioners, and David Edmundson, sheriff of said county.
■'Ordered, that the eagle side of a ten-cent piece, or dime, of the coin
of the United States, be and the same is hereby adopted as the temporary seal
of the board of county commissioners of the county of Jasper, aforesaid, until
a proper seal may be provided for the use of said board."
By a joint resolution, passed January 17, 1846, William Edmundson was
authorized to contract a full set of seals for the counties of Marion, Jasper
^8 JASI'KK COLNTV, IOWA.
and Tolk. and that ihe same be paid for out ot the territorial treasury. By
this it would seem that the seal of Jasper county had not yet been obtained.
The clerk was authorized to procure suitable books and stationery for the
countv. after which the board adjourned to the second Monday of May fol-
lowiiii;-. The book provided for the clerk and commissioners' use was a thick
account book, of about three hundred pages, which contains all of the proceed-
ings of that pioneer body, as well as the doings of the county judge, up to
January 30, 1855.
LOCATING THE COUNTY SEAT.
Before Ballinger Aydellotte, a justice of the peace, appeared Messrs.
Henderson and Fisher, two of the three commissioners named as locating
commissioners in the county-seat matter, on the nth of }klay, 1846, and took
an oath to faithfully and well perform their duties in impartially locating the
seat of justice for Jasper county. They swore to take into account the
"future as well as the present population of the county." Their report is
carefully preserxed in the archives of the county, as required by law, and as
the document is somewhat of a curiosity, unicjue in its spelling and general
make-up, it is here given in full as follows :
"Territory of Iowa, Jasper County:
"We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed by an x\ct of the Legis-
lature of the Territory of Iowa, passed at the session of 1845-6, providing for
the organization of the Counties of Jasper and Polk Counties, after having
1)een duly qualified agreeably to the provisions of Said Act, faithfully and Im-
partially to Locate the seat of justice of said Jasper county, and having Ex-
amined the Sityation of said County, have Agreed, and doe hereby Locate and
Establish the County Seat of said Jasper County on the Northwest Quarter
of Section (34) Thirty-four, Township Eighty (80) of Range Nineteen
(19). Witness our hands this 14th day of May, A. D., 1846 — and furtfier
Doe Give the Seat of Justice of said County the name of Newton City.
•'Thomas Henderson,
"Richard Fisher,
"Commissioners to locate the Seate of Justice of Jasper County, Iowa Terri-
tory."
The alxjve instrument was hied as the comniissioners'report. witli J. N.
Kinsman, clerk of the district court. May 25, 1846.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 49
The record of the affair shows that the commissioners examined two
other sites besides the one at Newton. One was at a point two miles south of
the one chosen, situated in section 3, Palo Alto township, and the other was
near the residence which later belonged to William Hixon, in Kellogg town-
ship, about three miles to the east of Newton. The general belief is that the
site near Mr. Hixon's would have been selected as the point at which to
locate Jasper's county seat, had it not been for the "log rolling'' carried on by
the people of "Fort Des Moines" to prevent the four w-estern congressional
townships of Jasper from being annexed to l\jlk county, which would have
endangered the prospects of the fort itself of being made the permanent
county seat of Polk county. In that event, it will readily be seen that Des
Moines would have been too far west in Polk to have won the coveted prize,
the county seat. While the final result gave Des Moines what it wanted, the
latter-day population of Jasper county have ne\er regretted the turn which
things took through this sharp practice on the part of Des Moines' early-day
political factors. It has given this county a very desirable and highly valuable
strip of land six miles wide on the western border of her fertile domain, in-
cluding the civil townships of Clear Creek, Poweshiek, Washington and Des
Moines.
Before the commissioners had settled on Newton as the seat of justice,
it is related in a former historical compilation, that B. Aydelotte and William
M. Springer erected a liickory log building at Adamson's Grove, which they
proposed to donate the county for office building purposes, but the offer was
ignored bv the locating commissioners, w'hich greatly angered the would-be
donors of a primitive court house. However, they were manly enough not
to rush into either injunction or mandamus proceedings, as has been the case
in many another Io\\ a county before the county seat question has tinally been
settled.
Thomas Adamson had a high pole erected on the site selected by the
commissioners. To this pole he had attached a composition of his own mak-
ing, setting forth the beautiful location, that it was central, and that here it
should he located, because by so doing would be effected the greatest good to
the greatest number. Mr. Adamson was a rock-rooted Democrat, and so
were the locating commissioners, and some were of the belief that the stand
he took had much to do with the final locating of the seat of justice at Newton.
Be that as it may, ''all is well that ends well,'' and but few have ever had
reason to regret that Ne\\t(Mi was chosen. With the crowning glory of the
present new temple of I'ustice, costing more than two hundred thousand dol-
lars, it is quite certain that the time will never come in the county's history
when a mo\-ement will be for once thought of for moving the county seat.
(4)
;0 JASl'KR COIXTV. IOWA.
DIVIDING THE COL'XTV INTO TOWNSHIPS.
On Mav 14. 1846. the county coniniissioneis proceeded to lay off civil
sub-divisions, or townships, as follows:
"Ordered, that there be a precinct laid otT in the southwest corner of
the county, to be called Des Moines precinct. Said precinct to contain all
the territory west of the Indian boundary line, and all south of the" terri-
torial road leading- from Oskaloosa to Fort Des Moines, within said Jasper
county.
"Fairview Township — Ordered that Fairview precinct be bounded on
the northeast Iw Skunk ri\er. on the south by the county line, and on the
southwest bv Des Moines precinct, and on the west by said county line to
said Skunk river.
Elk Creek Township — Ordered that Elk Creek precinct be l)ounded as
follows : Beginning at the northwest corner of said county, thence south to
Skunk river, and down said Skunk river to the south line of the county,
thence east to range line dividing 17 and 18, thence north to north boun-
darv of said county, thence west to place of beginning."
Lynn Cirove township was created by the following order: /'That
Lynn Grove precinct be bounded as follows : That said precinct shall con-
tain all that portion of territory in said county east of range line between
17 and 18."
The abnve were Jasper county's original townships, or precincts, as
sometimes still termed, but "township"' is the real name of the subdivisions
in the entire state of Iowa.
The judges of election in these newly created primaries were appointed
bv the board of commissioners as follows : In Fairview precinct, Adam
Tool. Xewton \\'right and John Frost ; in Elk Creek precinct, ]\Ioses Lacy,
Thomas J. Adamson and Xathan Williams; in Lynn Grove precinct. Rufus
Williams. M. L. Matthew and Blakely Shoemakc : in Des Moines precinct,
Moses Ray, James Guthrie and Adam Michael.
The first official act of County Judge Jesse Rickman (who was elected
in August. 1851. and immediately took his seat) was that of rearranging
the township lines, which was accomplished as follows :
"The following are the boundaries of Lynn Grove township: Com-
mencing at the northeast corner of township 81, range 17 west, and run we'st
six miles to the southwest crirner of said township and range; thence south
to the southwest corner of township /S<, range 17; thence east six miles to
the southwest corner of saicl townsliiji and range: thence to the j:)lace of
beginning.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 5 1
"The follow ing- are the boundaries of Xewton township : Commenc-
ing- at the nortlieast corner of township 8i, range i8 west, and run west
twehe miles to the northeast corner of township 8i, range 19; thence south
six miles to the southwest corner of said township and range; thence west
two miles to the northwest corner of section 2, township 80, range 20;
thence south to Skunk river; thence with the meanders of the river to the
section line four miles south of township line Xo. 79; thence east to range
line 18; thence north to place of beginning.
''The following are the boundaries of Elk Creek township: Com-
mencing at the northeast corner of section 25, township 79, range 18 west,
and run west to Skunk river; thence with the meanders of the river to the
county line: thence east to range 18, thence north to place of beginning.
"Fair\iew Township — The boundaries of Fairview township are : Com-
mencing on the county line at the southeast corner of section 34. township 78.
range 20 west, and run north to the northwest corner of section 22. township
79, range 20; thence east to Skunk river: thence with the meanderings of the
river to the county line ; thence west to place of beginning.
''Des ^Nfoines Township — Commencing at the southwest corner of the
county and run north to the southwest corner of section 18. township 79.
range 21 west: thence east to the northeast corner of section 21. township 79,
range 20 ; thence south to the county line : thence west to the place of be-
ginning.
Poweshiek Township — Commencing at the southwest corner of section
18. township 79, range 21. and run east to Skunk river: thence up the ri\-er
with the meanders to the section line two miles west of range 20: thence north
to the township line 81; thence west to the county line: thence south to the
place of beginning.
''Clear Creek Township — Commencing at the northwest corner of the
county, and run south to township line 81 ; thence east to range line 20: thence
north to the county line : thence west to the place of beginning."
ANOTHER CHANGE IN TOWNSHIP LINES.
In February, 1857, the county judge saw fit to make other changes in
the territory and boundaries of the several townships within Jasper county.
After that task had been completed the townships of the county were as fol-
lows : Rock Creek, Mariposa. ^lalaka. Clear Creek. Poweshiek. Xewton,
P)uen'i \^ista. Palo Alto. Mound Prairie. Des ^^oines. Fairview, Elk Creek.
Lvnn Grove. This made twelve townships in all up to the date this change
was broue^ht about.
0-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
On March 4, 1858, Independence township was formed.
By election time, i860, the townships had been changed around to as-
sume somewhat their present standing, Washington township, however, not
having been set off until June, 1861, at request of petitioners from Mound
Prairie township. Sherman and Hickory Grove were formed at a later date.
WASHINGTON PRECINCT.
1
In Marion county, to the south of what is now Jasper county, the set-
tlement had increased to such an extent that the commissioners of Mahaska
countv, in March. 1845. erected the territory now comprised within the
bounds of Jasper county into what they were pleased to term "Washington
precinct." with the polling place at the house of Mr. Tool. As there were
only about a dozen voters within the precinct at that date, it is possible that
the vote was smaller than at the election the year l3efore and the officers
elected were doubtless the same as those of the previous year.
THE GOVERNMENT SURVEYS.
All of the township and range lines north of the correction line and
east of the Indian Reserve line were run by Orson Lyon, who also ran the
southern and western line of township 78, range 19. The correction line was
laid by J. E. Whitcher to the northwest corner of township 78, range 19, and
was afterwards prolonged westward by Isaac X. Higbee. The tow^nship and
range lines south of the correction line, and east of the reservation, were run
bv William A. Burt of ^Michigan, son of the inventor of Burt's solar compass.
Both Lyon and Burt were employed for several years in the surveys of Iowa.
Township 78, range 21, was bounded by John Ball, and the lines of the re-
maining townships in range 21 were laid by Isaac N. Higbee. Other parts
of the survev in Jasper county were surveyed out by ^lessrs John D. Evans,
Samuel Whitmore. Samuel Jacobs. James (jrant and possibly one other
surveyor.
DATES OF TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.
These dates refer to original formation of the several townships of
Jasper county, as kmiw n today, and not to certain changes in their territory
and lines :
Buena Vista township was organized in February, 1857.
Clear Creek township was organized in the summer of 1849.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 53
Elk Creek township was organized in ]\Iay. 1846, one of the original
townships.
Fairview township was organized in May, 1846, one of the original
townships.
Des Moines township was organized in 'Sla.y, 1846. one of the original
townships.
Hickory Grove township was organized in 1864, among the last.
Independence township was organized in March, 1858.
Kellogg township was organized in 1868.
Lynn Grove township was organized in 1846, one of the first sub-
divisions.
Mariposa township was organized in February, 1857.
Mound Prairie township was organized in February, 1857.
]\Ialaka township was organized in February, 1857.
Xewton township was organized in August, 1851.
Palo Alto township was organized in February, 1857.
Poweshiek township was organized in 1847.
Rock Creek township was organized September 4, 1854.
Richland township was organized in i860.
Washington township was organized in 1861.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY.
To ha\e been a pioneer in Jasper county, Iowa, while the fair and
fertile domain was yet under the territorial government was indeed an
honor to those who braved the frontier hardships, away back in the early
forties, when the Indian was still in part possession of this section of the
"vast, illimitable and ever-changing West." The sons and daughters of
these early settlers may well refer to their ancestry with a just pride, for
it was they who set the first stakes to a civilization now far surpassing their
most sanguine dreams. Then, too, many of the pioneer band and their off-
spring went forth in 1861 in defense of the flag of the Union and laid down
life on a Southern battlefield, or perchance returned maimed for life. In-
deed the pioneer band who first invaded the wilds of Jasper county were men
and women of the truest and most sterling type of manhood and woman-
hood.
It was on April 23, 1843, ^ week prior to the legal time set for wdiite
men to set their claim stakes in the "New Purchase" in Iowa, that four
daring, rugged characters, accompanied by three others, left their families
in Jefferson county, Iowa territory, in search of lands on which to build
for themselves new homes. These men were Adam M. Tool, William Hisfh-
land, John Frost and John Vance. Of the three men who accompanied
those just named, this narrative will not undertake to trace further than
when they parted from the four who are the subjects of this item in the
early settlement chapter now being prepared by the compiler of this work.
These four brave-hearted pioneers carried ten days' rations, and blankets
on which to sleep at night time, and traveled a distance of eight v miles up
the Skunk river. On the night of the 28th of April, 1843, these weary
travelers and homeseekers camped for the night at a point where now
stands the town of Monroe. They prepared their evening meal, rolled up
in their blankets and slept peacefully in that solitude as yet unbroken by
the work of the white race. The next day they passed on south to the
trading post of Dick Parker, at the red rocks of the Des Moines, then the
only house west of Jefferson county. Here they chanced to meet that now-
historic steamboat, "'lone," which was slowly making its way up the Des
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 55
Moines river, having on board a company of infantry, commanded by
Captain Allen, who was then building a barracks at the Raccoon forks
(present Des ]^Ioines City). The land seekers were headed for a "squat-
ter's" place whose name was ]\Iosier, in the Narrows near where Oskaloosa
now stands, but as if by the strange hand of fate, or Providence, they were
caught in a drenching, cold spring rain. They walked briskly along the
Indian trail till late at eventide, finally reaching their objective point, badly
jaded by exposure.
In the morning of the following day Adam M. Tool was especially dis-
gusted with his experience and talked of returning to Jefferson county and
there purchasing a claim of another. They had been informed (possibly
by the' trader Parker) that the Xew Purchase would not be ready for set-
tlement for at least twenty years yet. The quartette of homeseekers all
seemed to have a bad case of the '"blues." Highland was not satisfied,
but believed that, on the whole, they could not do better than retrace their
steps and stake out claims up the river. Finally a council determined that
they should go back to the point of timber in which they had camped on
the night of the 27th. Frost and A'^ance, the other two, being footsore and
generally fatigued, thought it best for them to remain at the "Narrows"
until the wagon loaded with provisions which was to intercept their wan-
derings came in sight, when they would have more provisions and axes
and other implements with which to make some needed improvements. Hence
it was that Tool and Highland sallied forth and made their way to the
Skunk Bottoms, arriving at their former camping spot on the night of the
30th of April. 1843. The next day was hailed with great delight, as that
was the day fixed by the government on which claims might legally be
staked out. They did not have the opposition met with in later years in
Oklahoma land lottery days, but only had to select such choice lands as
their judgment led them to believe were most desirable to them.
They went forth at break of day, with tomahawks in hand, and be-
gan the work of blazing and staking off their claims. Highland blazing and
Tool doing the staking act. That day they staked out two claims and the
day following staked the other two out.
On the morning of the fourth day of their residence in the goodly
location, which vicinity later became known as Tool's Point, they ate the
last of their "grub." but were soon delighted to see the promised supply
wagon. ^^ ith a fresh supply, accompanied by their partners. \'ance and
Frost, as well as the drivers. James A. Tool, son of the pioneer, and the
son-in-law, ^^'ashington Fleenor. The son and son-in-law soon staked out
r5 JASTKR COrXTV. IOWA.
a claim, each for himself, adjoining- the other four already referred to. This
land was about one-half timber and one half ])rairie. and each claim was
supposed to contain three hundred and twenty acres, the prairie land being
situated along the south side of the Skunk river.
These men were all true as steel and not possessed of selfishness or
graft, but agreed that, as long as the men Tool and Highland had been the
real pioneers in staking out claims there they should have the first
choice of claims. Hence it was that the older Tool took the claim farther
to the west, at the head or point of the grove, while Highland took the third
one toward the east. Then Frost and \'ance drew cuts to decide their choice.
A'ance's lot fell between Tool and Highland.
The law. as well as their own needs and that of their families, which
were soon expected on, demanded that within thirty days they each pro-
vide themselves with cabins on their several claims. The six men above
named set to work and succeeded in building up as far as the plates, one
house a day. Highland's was the first built and consequently was the
first erected in jasper county by white men. After having completed their
cabins these men went back to Jefferson county to meet their families and
tell them of the wonderful country they had concluded to settle in. A
happv meeting it must have been, too!
MRS. WILLIAM HIGHLAND FIRST WOMAN.
As Mr. Highland at once packed up and moved his family here, ]\Irs.
Highland was undoubtedly the first white woman to invade the wilds of
what is now Jasper county, but which county had not yet been organized.
This, the first family to be "at home" in the county, dated its coming in
May. 1843. Vast the change in these later eventful decades in Iowa's
history I
As the township histories contain much of the early settlement and
other matter concerning the various sections of the county, the only further
attempt in this chapter to give the comings and goings of the first men and
women who settled the county, will be brief sketches of a few of the first
men whf) located in the month of April and May, 1843. closing the chapter
with a list of the j>ersons who are found on the tax list of 1847, four years
after the settlement was made at Tool's Point.
Willis Green visited this county in 1845, 'Accompanying James Pear-
son. Green located a claim while here, but did not succeed in selling his
former claim in Mahaska count v, so the ckiim here was taken l)v Da\'i(l
OLDEST HOUSE IN JASPER COUNTY
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 57
Edimindson. Green finally settled in 1847 and for two years thereafter
spent most of his time in hunting bees in :\[arshall and Hardin counties.
Joab Bennett was usually his comrade on these bee hunts. Bennett was a
genuine frontiersman and it is said of him that he could talk the Indian
dialect fluently. Indians frequently visited Newton to sell or trade ponies,
and while other settlers were getting ready to buy a choice animal, expect-
ing to pay ten or fifteen dollars, Bennett would walk up to the vender and,
after a moment's talk, would walk off with the bridle on his arm, having
paid two or three dollars for the animal.
Seven claims were made in 1843, but only three can now be definitelv
fixed as having been made in 1844. one having been that of Manlv Gifford.
in section 36, township 78, range 20. This man remained many years and
made a prominent and useful citizen. Later in life he moved to Keokuk
county. John Campbell came to Jasper county in 1844. but whether he
claimed land that season is not certain to the writer.
The beginning of a settlement was made in the southeast portion of
the county during the summer of 1844, one claim being taken by "Tandy"
Mayfield, and another by Wesley Stalling, in what is now styled Lynn
Grove. The families of these men probably did not arrive until the spring
or summer of 1845.
'"tool's taverx."
Adam Tool's family arrived at his cabin September 2, 1843, ^^d,
among the weeds and pea vines and tall grass, they halted their teams.
built a fire by a huge dry log, and there cooked and ate their first supper
in Jasper county, happy in the thought that they were on their own land
and free to car\e out a home worth the having. The cabin being too
small to accommodate the whole family of boys and girls and parents, the
sons slept in their covered wagon for a while. Soon a shed was built and
then more room was had for all hands in the "house.'' However, very soon
the strong sons and rugged father, with ax in hands, went forth to the
forest, from which they felled trees and then with a broad-ax hewed out
and built a commodious log house of good proportions. Their nearest saw
mill Avas seventy-five miles away, so lumber was not to be counted on. but
all was worked out by hard hewing and chopping. It is the oldest house
in the town of ^lonroe and stood many years as a landmark of those
days in 1843 "^^hen it was built.
58 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
As it turned out. it came to be a pioneer tavern, for lono- before it was
ready for real occupancy a weary traveler wanted lodging- there, and as
the government had set about establishing a post at Fort Des Moines, this
being the nearest house to the trail from that point to Oskaloosa, it be-
came a stopping place for many of the men in government employ as well
as strangers looking up locations for homes for themselves. Hence Mr.
and Mrs. Tool had to become real landlord and landlady, a thing which
they were quite well adapted to, and they had a large patronage for a
time.
Pioneer Adam Tool, who passed from earthly scenes in the seventies,
was born in Augusta county. Virginia, July 31, 1794. His father was a
teamster and young Tool had to do his share at helping cultivate the soil
in order that the large family might subsist. He commenced farming on
his own account, with one horse, when but sixteen years old. He was
drafted into the militar\- service at the age of nineteen years. He married
Susan H. Stinson in 181 7 and settled down for the struggle of what proved
an eventful but prosperous career. In 1836 they moved to Coles countv,
Illinois, where land was claimed, but on account of the fever and ague
there, he sold and went toJefTerson county, low^a territory, where he was
reduced in property by reason of sickness, having lost his eldest daughter,
and other misfortunes overtook him. It was in the fall of 1841 when he
arrived in Iowa. After this his history is known to the reader, if he has
read the fore part of this chapter.
William Highlands was born in Pennsylvania in 1803; removed to
Ohio when a young man, and married Ellen Slaine. In 1837 he removed
to Illinois and there became acquainted with Adam Tool. In September,
1842, he located in Jefiferson county, Iowa, to await the opening of lands
in the "'New Purchase." He reared a large family, all of whom have long
since removed from Jasper county to other parts of this (country, one
daughter marrying James Fudge and moving to Poweshiek county.
Had the four men who went up the Skunk on a land-hunting expedi-
tion in the month of April. 1843, shot a deer they were after for food
purposes, their supply then being about exhausted, the chances arc that they
would never have become first settlers in Jasper countv, but such are the
strange accidents in all stages of life.
John B. Frost was a native of Virginia, settled in Fairview township
in 1843. married Miss McCollum. In 1847 he sold his claim to another
and moved on farther toward the setting sun.
JASl'Kk COUNTY, IOWA, 59
John \^ance, the other named among the four who first located here,
was born in Washington county, A'irginia; was a bachelor; made his claim
and sold to ^lanly (iifford in 1845 o^' 1846, himself removing to Mahaska
county, Iowa.
Perhaps no better method is now obtainable to give the names of the
persons who made up the population of Jasper county four years after
the coming of the four men already narrated about, than to copy the list
as shown in the assessment roll for 1847, which in substance is as follows,
leaving out the amounts which each were assessed for :
Jacob Bennett, Jesse Rickman, Peter ■Miller, Katherine Good, John
H. Franklin, James Edgar, John Campbell, Ezekiel Shipley, M. S. Logs-
don, C. C. Thorp, William Chenoweth, Willis Green, James Fry, Henry
Hammer, Sr., David Edmundson, ^^'illiam Edmundson, Sylvester Tiffany,
Martin Adkins, * Elbert Evans, John B. Hammack, John Ship, John Flem-
ing, Nathan Brown, Wesley Brown, Benjamin Browse, ^ladison Tice,
Amanda Tice, James D. Norris. Joel B. Worth, Peter Browse, Joseph Hill,
Stephen B. Shelladay, ]\Iaiw D. Shelladay, Jacob Pudge, John Davis, Mary-
Baldwin, John Carr, Adam Tool, Manly Gifford, Daniel ]\Iosier, Uriah
Robbins, Jeremiah Kintz, John Wyatt, John Thorp, Mar}^ Adamson, John
Rodgers, Cyrus Insley, Joseph Slaughter, i\ndrew Insley, Samuel Sewell,
James Guthrie, William C. Harpe, William P. Norris, Robert C. Brown,
Andre J. Brown, Stephen Reffel, John A. Mikel, Jacob Bruner, William
Hays, Sarah Wyatt, Abner Ray, Alex. McCully, Asher Prunty, Elias
Prunty, Thomas Tuttle, Alex. Black, Jacob Booher, John Q. Deakin, Henr>'
Shewer, Daniel W. Shewer, Samuel H. Shewer, George Anderson, A. An-
derson, John R. Sparks, Samuel Mor, Hezekiah Northsent, Robert Patter-
son, Jesse Hammer, Wesley Stallings, E. N. Parks, William Turner,
Elijah Friend, David Campbell, Mercy Shoemake, Sabin Stanwood, J. W.
Swan, Henry Sweet, Isaac Myers, A. Davis, Atwell Holmes, William
Smith, Ira Hammer, Evan Adamson, Abraham Adamson, Sims Richman,
Ballinger Aydelotte, A. T. Prouty, Washington Logsdon, Nathan Williams,
R. B. Dawson, William B. Campbell, Jacob Herring. Samuel McDaniel,
Joseph Cooper, A. J. Smith, William E. Alexander, William Peterman,
John Sherman, John Bisbee, Joseph Hiner, Silas Sawyer, ^^'illiam Welch,
A. B. Miller, George K'ryser, Clark Kitchen, Evan Jones, Nathan McCon-
nell, W'illiam Johnson. Arnold Shepherd, David Shepherd, Hartwell Hays,
William Highland, John Reed, Ellison R. Wright, Newton Wright, John
C. Baldwin est., Archibald IVIcCullon. Washington Fleenor. Daniel Spaw,
O. Patterson. lames A. Pool. George Binkley, Lann Maradtt. John Snoas,
6o JASPER COrXTV. TOWA.
John J. Mudi^^ett. James Blake. 1'. M. Sparks. M. T. .Mather. WilHam T.
Ma>iiekl. J. M. Trease. \\'alter rnrncr. Jabez Starr. John E. Copp, David
E. Cooper. William J. Biiffington. Thomas Mitchell. Curtis Dooley, William
Logsdon. Wilberger Logsdon. Calvin Wolf. Zimri Hinshaw, David Hin-
shaw, Elijah H. Barton, Lewis Adamson, Alvin Adkins, Thomas Pearson,
Matthew Campl>ell. William J. Asher. Joseph Davidson, Joseph Logsdon,
Maria Proiity. Thomas J. Adamson. Seth Hammer, Henry Ham-
mer. Rachel Hammer. J^Jisha Hammer. G. W. Halley James
Elliott, Mitchell Robertson. William C. Smith. Blakely Brush, J.
M. Ferguson. James Asher. Moses Hames. Henry Hammer, Jr., A. S. Cox,
William P. Cox. Joshua Kent. John AMI son. Jesse Amos, Moses Lacy,
Shelby \\Aatt. Simon Ballard. I'hilip Ballard. John Duke, James Miller,
Cavender Gear, Shelton Gear, John Ballarrd, Thomas Garden, Isaac Asher,
William Ballard. E. B. Bush. Washington Asher. Lemuel* Perrin. James
Richman, David La Follett, Joseph Kintz, William B. Meacham. James
Finwick. George Howell. Eleanor Maggert. David A. Maggert. Josiah
Cox. E. R. Wyatt est.. Richard Barker. A. J. Berry. A. A. Cummings,
Daniel Cox. Evan Henshaw. Lewis Herring, John Moss, Joseph Dodd,
David McKinney. William D. Allen, Henry Adamson, Benjamin Adamson,
George Dooley. Silas Dooley. Thomas Rees, William M. Springer, Joseph
Jones, Albert Ship, William Thomson. L-a Adamson, Samuel K. Parker,
Edwin Terril. Abraham Peer, Hart Spring. William Howell, William
Rickey, John C. K^artchmer, Charles A. Dolson, Joseph Stobaugh, Samuel
Morrow, Milton Edwards, Joseph Hewitt, Joel B. Worth, Charles Fry.
THE HOLLANDERS IN JASPER COUNTY.
As a result of the religious persecution in Holland in 1835. as between
the government and the Reformed church (one class of its members), a
colony was formed under the leadership of Rev. Plenrv P. Scholte, who
in 1846 landed with four boatloads of these people in Baltimore. They
went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, by canal boats and on down the Ohio and
finally landed in St. Louis, where they recruited and finally wended
their way to Marion county, Iowa, the objective point had in
view by their leader. They settled up many of the northern townships
in Marion county, Iowa, and it is their sons and daughters who today are
known as the "Hollanders" of the southern townships of Jasper county,
among whom are many of the best, truest citizens within the county, being
industrious, religious, temperate and in all ways fit subjects of their adopted
countrv.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 6l
THE PIONEERS.
The following gem of a poem was read by its author, the editor of
the Nezvton Herald, in 1904, at the Louisana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, on the Fourth of July occasion that year. It w^as in the Iowa build-
ing, before an intelligent Iowa audience, and is very befitting in this con-
nection, hence will be given, both as a setting to the chapter now at hand, as
well as to show the literary talent of one of Jasper county's young authors
and publishers at that date, George F. Rinehart:
We love best the man who dares to do —
The moral hero, stalwart through and through,
W'ho treads the untried path, evades the rut;
Who braves the virgin forest, builds a hut;
Removes the tares encumbering the soil,
And founds an empire based on thought and toil.
Within his veins the blood of humble birth.
His purpose .stsible :is the roek-bound earth.
His mind expansive and his pulsing brain
Resolving problems not of selfish gain —
This man will never servile bend the knee —
He feels the uplift of the century.
Leviathans for him forsake the main,
And monsters leave the forest and the plain;
The future holds no terror for his soul;
No avarice collects its robber toll;
No social caste, no party creed nor clan,
To make him more a slave and less a man.
. With wants but few, no pioneer will crave
A crown in life nor plaudits at his grave;
He leaves behind the slavery of style,
The myrmidons of pride, deceit and guile;
Enlisting with the cohorts of the free.
The motto on his shield is "'Liberty."
What cares he for the monarch's jeweled crown?
For prince or plutocrat, for fame's renown;
The turmoil and the strife of endless greed.
When honest toil supplies each simple need:
He seeks not glory, yet the future years
Weave bri.ditest laurels f(ir the pioneers.
Thus we have met in this fair spot today,
To honor those, as well we may,
Who. tliinkin;u' deep, perceived (ind's mighty pl;in.
And carved the creed of liberty for man;
W^ho made Bunker Hill a spot divine,
And built at Valley Forge a nation's shrine.
For emblems of that liberty so wide,
So vast that with eternity it vied,
They snatched the blue of heavens for the scroll,
And sprinkled it with stars to make the goal,
Where we might, far beyond the crest and crag,
In liberty and justice plant the flag.
()2 lASI'KU COLXTV, IOWA.
We venerate its patriotic pride.
The sacied cause for which the martyrs died;
And feeling thus, you will with me agree
That much of what we are, what we may be,
We owe to those who wrought for future years.
And earned my toast, "God Bless the Pioneers.'
WILD GA.ME.
Pioneer lames A. Tool .states that wild i^ame was not very plcntiftil
when the tirst settlers arrived. l)tit that within a .short time deer and wild
turkey beeame abundant. The wolf had always been in evidence. In the
winter of 1848-9 the snow was very deep and it was so light that the tur-
keys could not fly to their roosts. One morning If ugh Patterson, living
near by. went into Tool's orchard and rode down and picked up as many
turkeys as he could carry away with him. May i, 1849, he states that he
stood on the Skunk river bluffs, on what is the southeast corner of the
Silas Nolan farm, and from that view-point counted forty-one deer. They
were supposed to l)e migrating, for the like had never been seen before nor
since that date.
When the first settlers came here they found but few^ elk. buft'alo or
antelope, though evidences of large numbers of receding buffalos was found
in the trail they left visible going to and from springs of water and streams
where the noble animals used to quench their thirst. There were but few^
panthers and less bear, owing to the thinness of the bodies of timber, af-
fording them but scanty protection from cold w intry blasts. Wild cats and
black wolves infested the groves, while troops of coyotes roamed at w ill on
the broad prairies, but these animals were not dangerous, except that fre-
(juentlx- they feasted on the pigs and lambs owned by the pioneers, who could
not for did n<it) at all times house their domestic animals.
I'erhaps the greatest, most exciting, wolf hunting in Jasper countv oc-
curred in the winter of 1846-7. The snow was very deep that season, aver-
aging, it is said upon good authority, thirty-three inches on the level.
Washington Fleenor was the crack wolf hunter of those days.. There were
a few- greyhounds owned by the pioneers, two of wliich were indeed noble
animals. When the snow was not too deep, these dogs could easily run
down a wolf and handle him with skill and success, but during the winter
just mentioned the dogs would soon tire of the chase. On one occasion
l'"leenor started out on horseback, carrying only a stout club, and was followed
by tile dogs. The horse, though he made hard work of it, could outrun
the wolves, and during that day Fleenor killed seven wolves with his club.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 63
It goes without saying that the poor horse he rode was only too glad to
reach his stall at night-time.
Pioneer Sparks stated in one of his reminiscences that a wolf succeeded
in getting at a calf he owned and made a good meal off of it, yet the calf
recovered, he being bitten and chewed about his hind quarters. Later, the
calf was sold to an emigrant going to Oregon and was driven along the
trail toward the setting sun.
Owing- to the fact that the Indians had been crowded into a small terri-
tory in Jasper county, there were not many deer left in this section of Iowa.
The treaties of 1832 and 1842 had caused the hunting ground of the In-
dians to be circumscribed to a small domain. But by about 18^0 more deer
were to be seen in these parts than before." As late as 1857-8 venison was
by no means a rarity in Jasper county. An early settler named ]Mosier, in
the winter of 1850. came upon two fine bucks on the Skunk bottom lands.
They had been engaged in a fight and had become entangled by their great
shar]) interlocking horns and could not free themselves in time to make good
their escape, hence both were secured by Mr. ]\Iosier.
In 1852, possibly a year later, William Highland (now so well known
to the reader as the first man with his family to locate in Jasper county)
caught a fawn between his farm and the Skunk river, which he took home
and confined in a lot. This drew many bucks around the house, almost
daily, and sometimes they would approach within a few rods of the dwelling.
The majoritv of the bee trees had been discovered and utilized by a
few enterprising men long before the actual settlement had been made.
There were some still found on Elk creek. The expert bee-hunter would
hang about the timber-lands until he saw a l^ee and then watch him till he
made his flight for his home tree and in that manner the bee tree could be
easily located. Many hundreds of pounds of delicious honey were taken
from some of these trees. Another mode employed to locate the bee trees
was to place a small amount of honey in a tin box, then several bees were
captured alive and placed in the box, and when they had "filled up." one
was released and the hunter Avould follow the bee in its ''bee-line" to the
tree where its store was kept.
Of snakes, it should be said that rattlesnakes were never very numerous
in Jasper county, as compared to other sections of the West. It is stated that
Calvin WoU. while walking on the open prairie, barefooted, encountered a
massasauga. w hich he stamped to death with, his heels, a very imprudent, rash
deed. too. In the southern part of Jasper county, however, the reptiles were
more ntmierous. At a ledge of rocks on the Des Aloines river the rattle-
54 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
snakes hibernated during the winter, and for miles around their den they
were Hable to be encountered in the summer months. About 1849 ^ party
visited the ledge, on a warm spring day, and managed to kill over three hun-
dred and would have killed many more only for the sickening smell caused
by the act, which turned their stomachs.
THE FIRST BAD CHARACTERS IN THIS COUNTY.
The two Caslner boys, the hfth persons to come in for the supposed pur-
pose of taking up lands, proxed anything but good citizens. While Adam
Tool, the first settler, was down in Jefferson county with his family, after
having made his improvements, preparatory to bringing the family here,
Benjamin and Jonas Castner came in from Missouri. Finding Mr. Tool's
cabin unoccupied, they at once moved into it. \\'hen the good pioneer re-
turned, rather than have trouble, he gave the boys fifteen dollars to vacate.
They then claimed lands near by and built themselves a cabin. It was not
long before it was noticed that Jonas was making frequent visits to his old
home in Missouri to see his father, and it was also observed that whenever
he went south that some of the friendly Indians lost several ponies, as they
would come along and inquiry was made by them for stray ponies.
These Castners committed all kinds of depredations, at one time robbing
a poor Indian's tent during the absence of the squaw, of all the blankets,
buffalo robes, camp kettles, and in fact everything that was worth carrying.
That night when the Indian returned and discovered his loss, he started for
Castner with a gun and butcher knife. Arriving at Frost's the latter per-
suaded him to stay all night, fearing he might get killed if he went there in
the night alone. The following morning he went to Castner's and found
his goods, but while there parleying about them, one of the Ijoys came run-
ning in. saving to the Indian. "'I'hcre is a turkey out here: let me take your
gun."' which the Indian did; but the young man forgot to return and while
the Indian was in search of the young man to get his gun the goods disap-
peared and he never saw them afterwards. During the trouble that fol-
lowed the Indian got his hand shot and claimed that it was done by Jonas
Castner. In the fall of 1845 Jonas finally got his just deserts at the hands
of a mob near old Fort Des Moines. It was government pay day at the fort
and when Jonas was discovered hanging around, a party painted like Indians,
but probably all whites, seized Jonas and ran him to the woods and gave
him an unmerciful flogging. There was no trial and no f|uestions asked.
Thev said his curses were frightful. That fall the family went to Mis-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 65
soiiri, but afterwards returned to Iowa, bringing a large amount of stock
with them, which mostly died during the following winter. Typhoid fever
soon broke out in the family; the old man, his eldest son, Henry, and sev-
eral younger ones died. The balance of the family scattered, some going in
1862 across the plains. The Castners were Mrginians bv birth and several
of their near relatixes had ser\'ed time in the penitentiarv of that state.
FIRST EVENTS IN JASPER COUNTY.
J
There always lingers alx)ut the first happenings of the settlement of
every new country much of interest, and here follows an account of some
of the more important events in the settlement of Jasper county, as vouched
for by James A. Tool, who dates back to the very first pioneer band of set-
tlers, hence is not likely to have been mistaken in his statements.
The first white child born in what is now Fairview township, as well
as in Jasper county, was a son. Robert, born in 1843 to \\^illiam and Ellen
Highlands. His mother was the first white woman to settle within Fair-
view township.
The first wedding took place at the house of Adam Tool in February,
1845. The parties concerned were William Hill, a young officer in a com-
pany of dragoons then stationed at Fort Des ]\Ioines, and Susan A. Tool.
Rev. Pardoe, a chaplain in the army, officiated.
The first election was held in April, 1844, ^"f^ the place held was at
Adam Tool's. This was a township election.
The first death occurred at Warren's Grove. Tn the fall of 1844 or
spring of 1845 a family settled there consisting of a man, wife and one
child, and the wife's brother. In the summer the brother died without
medical attendance or anyone knowing of his illness until a few hours be-
fore his death. John Brown and James A. Tool cleared off the hazel brush
patch and dug a grave, after which they sat up with the corpse all night.
The lumber used for making the rude coffin was hewed from a plank taken
from the loft floor of Adam Tool's house. He was lowered into his last
earthlv resting place by the tender hands of entire strangers. His name is
not now recalled and no tombstone marks his resting place, but his grave is
within the corporation of Monroe, on land later owned by ]^Trs. Huddleston.
That same autumn two others died and were buried in the same locality.
The first school house in the county was one standing near \\'illiam
Highlands, on land later owned by Lucy Whitted. It was built of round
logs, had eight-bv-ten window lights, hewed slabs for floors, seats of the
(5)
66 JASl'EK COUNTY, IOWA.
same stuff, with holes bored in and pins for legs. The first teacher was E.
R. Wright. Church services were also held in this building.
The first mill of any kind in Jasper county was the saw mill constructed
by A. T. Sparks in the fall of 1846, on the North Skunk river, in Lynn
Grove. By harvest time, 1848, he had added machinery by which a fair
grade of flour was produced. In fact it was no make-shift affair, but a good
flouring mill for those days.
The earlv settlers here had no means by which wheat could be threshed,
save by treading it out with cattle or horses. The bundles of grain were
placed with their heads inward in a circle on the ground. After being
trampled for a time, the straw was stirred and the process continued, the
horse or team going round and round, fastened to a center pole. This was
done when the flail was not used instead. Then came the slow process of
separating the chaff' from the wheat. This was either done by waving a
sheet up and down to fan out the chaff as the grain was dropped before it,
or by taking advantage of the strong autumn winds, often brisk enough to
blow off the chaff rapidly, and, by frequently stirring the grain, a consid-
erable quantity could be cleaned in a day. Threshing machines and fanning
mills had been just recently introduced in the Eastern states, but the people
here in Iowa had not yet got forehanded enough to purchase other than the
necessary plows and hoes.
Here it may be stated that it is believed the first threshing machine ever
operated in Jasper county was the one owned by Isaac Cooper, of Polk
county, who had a few "jobs" in the southern portion of this county in
1848. This was an old "chaff-piler." This had no separator attachment
and the grain fell inclosed in the chaff, at the mouth of the cylinder, while
the straw was blown by the current created by the motion of the cylinder a
little beyond the grain, whence it w^as removed by rakes and forks. There
are but few persons remaining in the country now who saw or used one of
these early-day machines. The contrast between these and the fine power
threshers of today, wnth separator, self-measurer, self-stackers and self-
feeders and band cutter attachment, some of which such machines have been
invented and are now extensively manufactured in Newton, is indeed great.
None desire to go back to those days of flail and treading out wheat, but.
as we praise modern improvements, we should revere the memorv of our
forefathers who worked on in faithfulness until these good days of the
twentieth century were in sight.
As to plows, it should here be stated that prior to 1846 in Jasper county,
both breaking and stirring plows were made bv home Ijlacksmiths. The
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 6/
cutter-bar in the one and the land-side in the other, with the points, were
made of steel and the mold-board of wood. In 1846 a Mr. Sperry, of Jef-
ferson county, Iowa, commenced to make a fair mold-board plow. Cast
plows Nvere used some, but would not scour in our soil. The first harrow
"drags" used were home-made and had wooden teeth. Many had the har-
row made in the shape of a letter A.
The first election in the territory of Jasper county (then in Marion)
was held in April, 1844, Mahaska county having been organized in the Feb-
ruary prior to that date, and its territory included that of present Marion
county for election purposes, and by reason of this, the little settlement in
Jasper county, as now understood, was allowed to \ote at the house of Adam
Tool, at Tool's Point. William Hig'hland was elected justice of the peace
and township clerk ; \\'ashington Fleenor as constable, and Adam Tool as
one of the trustees.
FIRST PORTABLE SAW MILL.
Perhaps the first portable saw mill ever invented was the product of
pioneer John Cary, of Jasper county, who was one of the founders of old
Wittemberg College, of Newton township. He came to the county in 1853
and after the college had been decided upon, there was the obstacle of lum-
ber not being at hand. Mr. Cary returned to Ohio, his old home, and tried
at various places there and in Pittsburg to get some firm to construct him a
portable saw mill, but failed, for they said it could not be successfully ac-
complished. He finally secured a firm at Norwalk, Ohio, who followed his
plans and made him the first portable saw mill of which history seems to
have any definite knowledge. It was shipped on here to Jasper county and
set up. It worked finely and cut much of the lumber for the old college
buildings, as well as for many of the pioneer buildings in Newton and sur-
rounding country. Later the mill was shipped up the Des Moines river and
as late as 1880 was still being operated. Prior to this circular saws had been
operated by horse-power, or by stationary engines, but the Cary portable
saw mill created a revolution in the saw mill industry, east as well as west.
CLAIM PROTECTION SOCIETIES.
In the spring of 1846, a Claim Protection Society was formed by the
settlers of Lynn Grove. The meeting place was by a pile of logs in a clear-
ing on the farm of John A. Sparks. All the settlers in the vicinity attended.
68 jASI'KK COU.NTV. low \
Rules were adopted substantially the same as those found effectual in other
counties. and the clerk of the meetino- made a plat of the precinct on which
all the claims then made were noted, and also registered on a separate piece
of paper. When a newcomer put in his appearance he was advised to in-
spect the plat kept by the clerk in order that he might see what land was
already claimed. Any of the settlers would gladly spend a day. or more if
need be. with him in hunting up a desirable location. Settlers were very
sensitive about the movement of strangers who were not fully vouched for.
Jasper county, however, did not suffer as much from claim jumpers as many
of the counties further east, many of the professionals in that line having
been taught a lesson before coming here.
Pioneer Sparks related once at an old settlers' meeting how he was ac-
companied by a Mr. Coleman, the surveyor who located the territorial road
from Iowa Cit\ . and how they visited the cabin home of John J. Mudgett.
The surveyor had some thought of locating a mill-site, and their business
was mainly to see if one could be found there. Mr. Coleman asked Mr.
Mudgett to give him the number of the section he was living on. which the
latter did, and then proceeded to describe the spot the surveyor had just
mentioned. Coleman interrui)ted him by saying that he knew all about it,
which alarmed Mr. ^Mudgett. who at once became cold and reserved and had
no more information to offer. Sparks and his companion soon left. That
evening Sparks, who well understood Mudgett's change of manner, made
the surveyor promise to return the next day and visit the suspicious settler,
in order to remove the unfavorable impression he had created. This he
promised to do, and started off early the following day. He found Mudgett,
stayed to dinner, and returned, leaving his host fully convinced that he had
no covetous intentions regarding his claim.
What was known as the Independent Protection Society was formed
about 1846-7, having in view the protection of those occupying claims, but
without means of entering them at once. The scope of power assumed bv
the organizers of this society was to prevent persons from entering lands
claimed by others in good faith, and in case the land was actually taken from
the claimant to force settlement which should be satisfactory to the first
holder of such land. In many other parts of Iowa a state of war had some-
times arisen over these collisions of capital with the understood rights of
the first comers; but in Jasper county there were only two such cases, at
least of any considerable note. These occurred in 1848. The first case was
that of A. T. Prouty. who entered forty acres of land claimed hv James
Edgar, a blacksmith, which is now situated in the citv limits of Xewton.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 69
Prouty had the patent issued to his son, Joseph, who at the time was under
age. As soon as the transaction was noised abroad, a meeting of the settlers
Avas held, which delegated a committee to wait upon Prouty for the purpose
of demanding an explanation. This he thought best, everything considered,
to offer, and compromised with the stern-faced visitors by executing a bond
for a deed, and recjuiring Joseph to make a deed also, in favor of Edgar.
Joseph afterwards went to California and while there sued for the recovery
of the forty, but without success.
In the second case, Prouty had entered a claim already claimed by John
Moss, three to four miles east of Xewton. Hearing that the neighbors of
Mr. Moss had fixed a day for the purpose of visiting him again, he left
home. The neighbors went to his house as determined as before, but were
put off by Mrs. Prouty. who promised that her husband would pay Moss a
fair price for his claim. The sum was agreed upon and the trouble thus
settled.
Another statement is that the land was entered by Prouty's daughter,
Alaria, who made the settlement; but the girl did not entirely give up till
the crowd of "Protectionists'" had first appeared in front of the house and
as an evidence of what might happen to her, they applied a coat of tar and
feathers to the front gate post.
GOING TO MILL VALUE OF BREAD.
People today, who eat of the fancy brands of roller ])rocess flour,
little dream of what hardships their forefathers endured in striving to
secure bread on which to feed their families. Seventy-five to one hundred
miles from a mill, and that run by an uncertain water power and crude ma-
chinery (sometimes without a bolting mill attached), made milling very
uncertain in pioneer days in Jasper county. Tn the winter of 1843-4. it is
related of .\dam Tool. William Highlands and John Frost, that they made a
trip to Locust Grove mill, some twenty-five miles northwest, on the Skunk-
river, arriving there Saturday night. The miller would not run his mill on
Sunday, but agreed if a certain man could be hired to run his mill on Sun-
dav he might grind their grain for them. The man was secured and the
grain was ground, so tliev started home early Monday morning. It re-
quired ten days to make the trip.
In 1844 it became necessary for the same party to have milling done
again. Both corn and money were scarce articles. There was. however, a
man named Elder who had corn to sell at twenty-five cents a bushel. They
JO JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
all secured the necessary amount except Mr. Highlands, who had no money
with which to pay for corn, and his acquaintance was too slight to ask credit
of Mr. Elder. But finally Adam Tool and John Vance went his security for
five bushels of corn. That was all the bread stuff the family had from that
date until the new corn crop was old enough to grate. This will show what
value was placed on early bread-stuft's.
In 1845 a mill was erected by Mr. Duncan on the Skunk river north of
Oskaloosa.
Another milling trip may suffice to show early milling trials. In the
winter of 1845-46 the snow was deep and drifted so that it was almost im-
possible to cross the prairie between Tool's Point and Fort Des Moines,
therefore all travel from and to Des Moines left the prairie road four miles
west of where Pella now stands, and followed the Des Moines river, which
gave a timber road, consequently there was no broken road from Tool's
Point, in the direction of the mill, nearer than eight miles. Bread-stuffs
were fast running out and must soon be provided for, so the neighborhood
turned out to break the roads, starting from John Frost's. They broke two
miles of the road the first day, and returned home for the night. The next
day by hard work they succeeded in getting clear through, and stopped for
the night at the house at the end of the snow-shoveled highway, rejoicing
in their success.
In the winter of 1846-7, James ^loss, with an ox team, went to Dun-
can's Mill, on the South Skunk river, near Oskaloosa. On his return trip
he was caught in a northwest blizzard. It became very cold, the team and
himself became bewildered and laid out all night. When he was finally
found he w as badly frozen and later both feet were amputated at the instep.
There were no surgeons or doctors here and it is said James Pierson per-
formed the surgical operation with a pocket knife and sa\ed the young
man's life.
In the winter of 1847-48 the snow was so very deep on the prairies
that it took all of the men, oxen and horses in the neighborhood two days to
break a road from Elk creek, near the Dan Gifford place, to the Lynn Grove
mill. The neighborhood having been out of all meal, flour or bacon for about
four or five weeks, had subsisted during that long period on pounded and
boiled corn, grated potatoes and wild meat. The same winter, Nathan
Hammer took two yoke of cattle, hitched to his wagon, and with a grist of
corn went over the same road. The snow was so deep he uncoupled his
wagon, put the hind wheels on the front axles, loaded on his grist and com-
pleted his journey to the mill, where he stayed all night. The next dav he
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. / I
Started for home, and was caught in a southwester which filled up the tracks
of the previous day. He became very cold and when he arrived home his
feet were badly frozen. They foolishly applied a poultice of roasted turnips,
and he was obliged to wear moccasins until spring.
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The county, as well as the state and nation, must ha\e good men at the
head of its government in order that the best results be obtained. In the
main, Jasper count\' has been ruled by men of intelligence and honesty, there
have l)een exceptions to this rule. ho\ve\er. The large defaulters chron-
icled in many other parts of the commonwealth have not burdened the tax-
payers of this county to any great extent. In common with other counties,
it took some time to get used to the various governmental changes, as, for
instance, in the matters of a change from the county commissioner system
to that of the almost one-man power of the old county judge system adopted
by Iowa in 1851 ; then the change to the county supervisor system in 1861,
by which the county judge was almost entirely shorn of his authority, and
the county controlled by one man from each township within the countv, all
of whom formed the county board. Then, in 1868-9, the creation of a
county auditor system — the finest system yet conceived of for accurately
keeping the accounts of the county — by which the auditor becomes ex-officio
clerk of the board of supervisors. The various methods of levying and
collecting taxes, caring for the highways and the unfortunate poor in the
county — these and a score more of things which have gone through change
after change, have each and all required time and good judgment in order
to simplify and readjust the old and understand the new methods of carrv-
ing on a good and popular government Aside from, possibly, two items in
our county affairs, the ])resent system needs but little legislative revision to
Ik- in harmony with just and |)0])nlar laws for the affairs of running the
ninety-nine counties of Iowa — the matter of better ecjualization of taxes and
more business-like methods for building and maintaining public roads. Here
there is no doubt that a field is open for great improvement. J'roperly ex-
pended, tile vast sums of money collected for road and bridge purposes
could l>e made to make many times the number of good miles of roads that
now exist in everv countv in Iowa.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 73
ACTS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The wheels of county government were set in motion April 14, 1846,
with the following- as county officers in charge of affairs : Joab Bennett,
John R. Sparks and Manly Gifford. commissioners; John H. Franklin, clerk;
J. W. Swain, treasurer; David Edmundson. sheriff; Seth Hammer, recor-
der; AVashington I'leenor, probate judge.
The first order given by the commissioners was "That the eagle side of
a ten-cent piece or dime, of the coin of the United States, l)e and the same
is hereby adopted as the temporary seal of the board of county commis-
sioners of the county of Jasper, aforesaid, until a proper seal may 1)e pro-
vided for the use of said board."'
Now will follow the more important acts of the board, in aljout the
chronological order they transpired, as seen by the records of the county.
But before introducing the record on these matters, it will be best to state
that the name of tlie county seat was changed as follows ;
Chapter 22. of the acts of the First General Assembly of Iowa, ap-
pro^•ed February 3, 1847, reads as follows: "Section i. Be it enacted by
the General Assembly of the state of Iowa, that the name of the town of
'Newton City,' the county seat of Jasper county. l)e and the same is hereby
changed to that of 'Newton.' "
At the July meeting" of the county board, the first tax was made a
matter of record, it lieing a lev}' of four mills for county purposes and a half
mill for school purposes. At the same time the treasury was in receipt of
twenty-five dollars from Jacob Bennett, who paid his license to keep a
grocery in Newton.
The following day tlie following order was made: "That John R.
Sparks be appointed as agent for the county of Jasper, to act as such to
borrow money for and to enter at the land office at Iowa City the cjuarter
section of land that the town of Newton is located on, for the seat of
justice of Jasper county, who shall use all exertions to procure funds for
the same by paying an interest not to exceed twenty per cent."
October 4. 1847 — That day the court house erected by Evan Adamson
was accepted and an order allowing him the sum of one hundred seventy-five
dollars in "town money," which amounted to the eighty-seven dollars and
fiftv cents voted him in full for the construction of the first court house of
the county.
lanuarv 4, 1848 — The clerk was instructed to give notice that there
would be a sale of lots in Newton, commencing on the 31st day of January,
74
TASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
1848. and that it would be continued from day to day until a sufficient sum
had been realized to defray the expenses of entering the land selected for
county seat purposes.
April 10, 1848— The board assumed control and jurisdiction over Mar-
shall county, by establishing a township in that territory of the name of
Minerva Creek, with a polling place at the house of George W. Halley.
At the meeting in July. 1848. the board levied a four-mill tax on the
dollar for county revenue, two and a half mills for state purposes, and a
half mill for school purposes.
Silas Dooley. sheriff and assessor, was allowed thirty dollars for as-
sessing the county, summoning jury, etc.
The board also ordered that the portion of the state road running
from Granville Hendry's, in :\Iarion county, to Fort Des Moines, which lay
in Jasper county, be declared open for travel.
At the October 2. 1848. meeting of the board, Joab Bennett was em-
ploved to ceil one of the small rooms in the court house, for which he was to
receive sixteen dollars in "town funds."
Nathan Williams and Thomas J. Adamson became the purchasers of
out-lots Nos. 18 and 19 in Newton, toward which they applied as part pay-
ment a stove valued at twelve dollars.
At this same meeting of the board difficulty was found relative to the
county borrowing money and the following orders were made: "That the
county be forthcoming to Nathan Williams and John R. Sparks for money
to enter the town quarter the seat of justice of Jasper county; whereas, the
said Williams and Sparks borrowed money of A. T. Prouty, and gave their
own individual notes for the same to enter said land, and the same, or a
large part of it, still remains unpaid, the county commissioners now assume
the payment of the same, and all interest and accruing interest and costs that
mav accrue on the same.
"Ordered, that John B. Hammock be appointed commissioner's agent
in the stead of Nathan Williams to borrow any moneys or use any reason-
able means of getting money on the faith of the county, to pay the expense
of entering the seat of justice of Jasper county."
The money had been borrowed on the expectation that an apportion-
ment of school money was to be made to the county, and it had been stipu-
lated by the makers of the note that they were allowed to borrow this till
the county would be able to replace the money in the school fund commis-
sioner's hands out of a subsequent tax levy. It was a sort of "accommoda-
tion"' paper which operated then as it has later, to fool the parties who gave
it worse than anybody else.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 75
At the July meeting in 1849, the county treasurer reported the receipts
for the last year to have been $266.42 in county orders and $312.50 in
"town orders."
The board then levied taxes as follows: County, four mills; state, two
and a half mills; school, one mill.
The total amount of taxable property in 1849 was $94,366. There were
one hundred and seventy-six persons liable to pay a poll tax. There were
eight silver watches, and $4,842 in coin and bank notes in possession, but
it is likely that all was not given in then, as is the case nowadays. There
were also three hundred and one horses over two years old, six hundred and
eighty-eight head of cattle o\'er two years of age and two mules. The num-
ber of sheep listed was seven hundred and ninety-four and one thousand
seven hundred sixty-three swine — "prairie rooters." Four carriages were
found by the assessor, but not a single piano within Jasper county!
In March, 1850, the record shows that "The late treasurer paid over
the sum of $365.23. the amount of tax for 1849 received by him."
Jesse Rickman, school fund commissioner, made his report to the board,
showing that the net sum collected and in his hands was $421.23.
April, 185 1 — Ordered that the trustees of the parsonage of the mission
of the Methodist Episcopal church have a deed for lot No. 8 in block No. 25.
This donation to the church was among the last, if not the last, acts of the
county commissioners whose office had been legislated out and they gave
way to the newly created office of county judge, which obtained until an-
other ten years had rolled around and the supervisor system had been estab-
lished in all Iowa counties by the provisions of the code of 185 1. The last
board of commissioners adjourned July 28, 1851.
ACTS OF THE COUNTY JUDGE.
Jesse Rickman was elected as Jasper county's first county judge. His
first act was to rearrange the townships of the county, and when he had per-
formed this task there were seven sub-divisions in Jasper county. His next
act was to issue marriage license to \\^illiam Hammer and Ruth Hinshaw ;
the document bears date of August 14, 1851.
August 30, 1856, the old court house was sold at auction to Caleb Lamb
for one hundred fifty dollars.
In Septem1>er of the same year last named, the county treasurer was
compelled to furnish a bond for thirty thousand dollars, instead of the
sixteen thousand dollar bond given before, for the reason that the countv
j6 JASPKR COrXTV. IOWA.
expected the next levy to bring to his hands about twenty-five thousand dol-
lars. This additional bond was signed bv P. G. D. Morton, J. W. Macy,
Taylor Pierce and M. A. Blanchard.
December lo. 1856, the county treasurer reported that the tax lists
for 1848. 184c), 1850 and 1851 hnd been lost. It was therefore ordered that
he ha\e credit ior the amount of tax delinquents on those lists, which
amounted to two hundred eighty-se\en dollars.
February 17. 1857. the county judge again made changes in the bound-
aries of certain townships in this county and created other new ones.
During the Legislature of 1856-7 a law passed requiring the county
judge to affix his warrant to the tax book of 1854, ordering the treasurer to
collect the taxes delinquent therein, and that the treasurer proceed to collect
said taxes, and he was also ordered to pay over all nionev he had collected
prior to the passage of that act. The county was made accountable to the
treasurer for any damages lie might sustain in making the collections called
for.
In the autumn of i860 the county judge submitted to vote the question
whether a sufficient portion of the swamp land fund should l^e di\-erted for
the pur}X)se of erecting necessary l)ridges and for the redemption of bonds
issued for the building of the court house.
December 31. i860, the county judge made a contract with J. W. May
to build a bridge at Parker's Ferry, on South Skunk, to be completed bv the
first of the following April, for which he was to receive four hundred eightv-
five dollars. On the same day B. Manning received his warrant for con-
structing a bridge at ^Manning's Ferry, for which he was to be paid seven
hundred eighty-six dollars.
The last act of the county judge before handing over the reins of
county government was to fix the boundary lines l)etween Fairview and Elk
Creek townships.
PROCKEDIXG.S OF THE BOARD OF Sl'PERVISOR.S.
The first board of county supervisors, as ordered hx the new law, held
its session the first week in January. 1861. The first board was made up of
the following gentlemen: David McCord (chairman). William N. Harrah,
C. M. Davi.s, Morris Gating, Salem Jeffries, Reuben Johnson. John Mc-
Cracken, G. W. Chinn. Caleb Jorrlan. James E. Butler, Andrew G. Groves.
William G. Romans. Perry Matteson, Eli.sha Flaugh and George Ryan.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. /J
Among- the earliest acts of the board of supervisors may be mentioned
the dividing- of Mound Prairie township and the formation of a new town-
ship to be known as Washington. This was dated June, 1861.
At the same session of the board it was learned that two thousand dol-
lars of interest was due and delinquent to the permanent school fund. S. G.
Smith, county attorney, was directed to push the collection of the same as
speedily as possible.
The board decided to apply one-half of the proceeds of the sale of
swamp lands to the drainage of the sanie, anfl the other to building- bridges.
DRAINAGE OF TtlE SWAMP LANDS.
At the September meeting of the board came up the important matter
of drainage of Jasper county's swamp lands. It was resolved that the
drainage commissioner be authorized to expend such sums, not exceeding
three hundred dollars, as he might deem necessary in the townships of
Poweshiek, Clear Creek, Elk Creek, Fairview and Palo Alto, for the pur-
pose of draining the swamp lands therein. Underground drains were to be
used and the work was to be paid for in the lands at one dollar and twenty-
five cents per acre, unless in case where the lands were worth more, when the
lands were to be sold and contractors paid in cash.
In June, 1862, the board agreed with John Henry, X. L. Williams and
others, representing a company formed for the purpose, to transfer the
swamp lands lying adjacent to the road crossing, either at Parker's or ^lan-
ning's Bridge over South Skunk river, to the company on condition that the
proposed corporation should construct approaches to the stream which should
be above the high water mark, as well as drain the lands transferred. In
exchange for this the company was granted the privilege of taking tolls for
crossing the bridge selected by them, the amount to be regulated by the
board.
At the same session the committee on poor was instructed to inquire
into the expediency of purchasing a poor farm.
In 1863 the board agreed with the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad
Company and the \\'estern Stage Company to have a sufficient roadway
made across Skunk bottom at Parker's Bridge, the county contributing four
thousand dollars, the railway one thousand dollars, and the stage company
five hundred dollars.
-s
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
THE COl^NTV HELD LIABLE.
In 1873, or possibly a year later, one John Hessdorfer and family
passed through Jasper county on his way to Nebraska. While crossing the
South Skunk bottoms his team became frightened, backed off the bridge
and in the fall one of the children was killed and other meml^ers of his
family injured and the wagon badly broken up. Mr. Hessdorfer employed
W'inslow & Wilson, attorneys, to bring action against Jasper county in his
behalf. The case was tried in ]^Iahaska county, and he was awarded a ver-
dict of four thousand five hundred dollars. This county appealed the case
to the state supreme court. In the meantime J. ^^^ Wilson has been ap-
pointed administrator for the deceased child, and he brought suit to recover
the value of the child's services till it should have become of age, claiming
five thousand dollars therefor. It was a long-drawn-out case, with com-
promise here and there, and finally resulted in the county having to pay the
plaintiff, in October. 1876. the sum of four thousand dollars and costs, to be
paid in installments.
THE county's FINANCES.
Perhaps there is no better way to show the thrift and growth of the
county in the last third of a century than to give the assessed valuation for
the year 1878 and that of 1910:
Assessed
Valuation,
Townships. 1878.
Newton $2^2.425
Clear Creek 249.825
Washington 412,348
Hickory Grove 228,850
Prairie City 194,650
Palo Alto 318.108
Mariposa 218.289
Jasper City, Ind. D 180,350
Lynn Grove 257,505
Rock Creek 275,590
Richland 244.569
Kellogg 329-564
Des Moines 408,647
Assessed
Valuation,
Townships. 1878.
Monroe 8313,410
Sherman 259,266
Colfax 1 16,672
\'andalia 31,992
Fairview 423,876
Lynnville, Ind. D 106,860
Poweshiek 275,678
Independence 241,473
Malaka 370-3i5
Ruena Vista 335,941
Elk Creek 356.410
Mound Prairie 276,776
Newton. Ind. D 691.949
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. /()
ABSTRACT OF TAX BOOKS I QIC.
Real and Personal Property. Total Tax.
Clear Creek $ 292,320 $ 10.566.36
Independence 342,065 11,349.12
]Malaka 369.635 11,711.97
Hickory Grove 344-885 10,570.1 1
Rock Creek 286,330 9,724.34
Kellogg- 309,790 1 1,136.50
Newton 437-265 i5'274-39
Sherman 304-95O 10,441.02
Poweshiek 278,360 9,665.67
Washington 317..125 9,867.62
Mound Prairie 378,435 11,790.91
Palo Alto 367,730 12,987.58
Buena Vista 403,465 13,272.24
Richland Z^7'7^':^ 12,260.96
Lynn Grove 37^-370 13,078.23
Elk Creek 371-125 12,780.00
Fairview 479-320 15,808.42
Des Moines 414-540 I3»i95-7i
Mariposa 356,045 11,191.86
Town or City corporation —
Monroe 253,235 i3,i74-53
Jasper City 159^965 9-003.36
Baxter 166,840 9,1 10.99
Prairie City 230,035 12,160.99
Sully 78.185 4-141-23
Lynnville 54-6io 2,909.89
Mingo ■ 47.555 1,788.79
Greencastle 50,730 i-9i3-89
Vandalia 32-375 1,568.12
Reasoner 50,330 2,211.12
Newton (City) 2,158,152 120,997.88
Colfax 287,690 30.330-73
Corporations 926,069 34,677.60
Total $11,249,241 $470,662.13
80 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
JASPER county's VARIOUS COURT HOUSES.
The term "court house" is sometimes wrongly applied. It may mean
simply a place for holding various kinds of court, or it may also mean a
county building-, or buildings, wherein courts are held, as well as office
rooms for the various county officials, such as recorder, treasurer, etc. So
in speaking of the "first court house" in any given county it is always well
to understand which construction is placed on the building being talked
about. Here in Jasper county, the organizing act of the Legislature of the
territory of Iowa had one section which reads : "That the district court of
Jasper county shall be held at the house of Matthew- D. Springer, in said
countv, or at such other place as may be designated by the board of county
commissioners of said county, until the seat of justice of said county may
be located."
In accordance with the above provision, the first term of court was
held at ]\Ir. Springer's residence, in Buena Vista township, or rather in Palo
Alto tow^nship, near the line between the tw-o townships named. It was
held in the cabin of Mr. Springer which he had erected the autumn before
(1845) and to which he had added a small room in which the court might
be held. While it was the first court house, it was not a public building
owned by Jasper county, at all, but the residence of Mr. Springer. (See
Bench and Bar chapter for the first court.)
The reader of today and later generations may be interested in a descrip-
tion of this, the pioneer "court house," so called.
It stood where the highway now makes an elbow^ on the Samuel
Squares farm. It w-as built of small round hickory logs, about eight inches
in diameter and w^as in size sixteen feet square and about eig"ht feet high.
Clapboards were nailed over the cracks inside to keep the snow and wind
out as much as possible. It had what they called then a "continental" chim-
ney — that is, holes Ijored into the w^alls, pins driven therein, and then weath-
erboarded w'ith clapboards, thus forming a flue for conducting the smoke
abo\e the roof of the building. A lane was cut through the brush from the
"court house" to the prairie. Judge Williams, of Muscatine or Davenport,
was the first judge of the Jasper county district court, and it is related that
while in session (the term lasted about an hour) several deer were seen
roaming about and finally entered the lane, cut through the underbrush be-
tween the court house and prairie and the court, iudge and all, went out to
see the animals.
JASPER COUXTY, IOWA. 8l
FIRST COUNTY BUILDING.
The first real court house of Jasper county was that built in 1847 ^y
Evan Adanison and turned over to the commissioners by him October 4th
of that year, for which the board paid him the sum of eighty-seven dollars
and fifty cents. It was constructed of green native lumber. The contract
was awarded to Mr. Adamson April 5, 1847, ^^^ ^^ called for a building
eighteen by thirty feet and one story high. This building served well its
original purpose until the second court house was built in 1857.
THE SECOND COURT HOUSE.
During the winter of 1855-56 much excitement arose over a proposed
removal of the court house site from the public square to Park block, in
Nbrth Xewton. March 3. 1856, a petition was presented to County Judge
Rickman, asking him to submit the question of removal in April following.
A remonstrance Avas also presented, when it was learned that the petition
contained four hundred nine names and the remonstrance seven hundred
sixty-two. The Judge ruled that there be no election called. The case then
went to tlie district court and the judge of that tribunal ordered that the
county judge call an election, — at least to let the proposition be voted upon
at the spring election, — which was carried out and resulted in a defeat to
the removal petitioners, by a majority of four hundred sixty-eight.
When it was decided to build a better, larger court house, in 1857, the
old one was sold to Caleb Lamb and removed to his farm near Newton,
where it stood for many years.
The second court house being demanded. Judge Edmundson made a
contract with John Hyde for the construction of a foundation of a building
that should be ample for many years to come, and the record shows that on
August 15, 1857. Hyde was allowed $150 as a part of the September pay-
ment on the court house contract; on the 22d he was paid $150 more; on
the 29th, $200 more. William Rodgers was paid $225 for superintending
the work. October loth, Hyde was allowed $1,159 and November 3d,
$3,814, drawn in thirty-two warrants.
Eebruary 22, 1858, the Judge's record shows that he had sold bonds
one and four to A. A. Kellogg at seventy-eight cents on the dollar, the same
being pavable at the St. Nicholas Bank, New York City. Other bonds were
disposed of at eightv cents on a dollar.
(6)
82 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
October 30, 185S. the county indite ordered 81,981.43 to be paid to
Contractor Hyde on the contract, and the record says he added, "this com-
pletes the sum of $26,600 which has been paid on the court house, and for
which J. P. Huskins. agent of John Hyde, the contractor, has receipted for
as payment in full for contract and all extras in and about the building.
The house is therefore received from the hands of the contractor."
An early description of this building reads thus: "The building is
located in the center of the public square; its form is oblong, being fifty feet
wide by sixty-two long, with porticoes projecting from each front twelve
feet. It is two stories high, with a basement seven feet high beneath, the
latter built of sandstone; the portion above ground is faced with white lime-
stone, the bases to the columns and antae being of the same material. The
walls are built of brick. The first story is fourteen feet high, and contains
four rooms, each seventeen and a half by twenty-three and a half feet, and
two halls, each ten feet wide, occupied by the county officers. Two stair-
ways lead to the second story, w^hich contains the court and jury rooms.
The court room is thirty-seven by forty-seven feet, and nineteen feet high,
and both jury rooms are ten and a half by sixteen feet in size. The entire
height of the top of the cupola is eighty-three feet. The columns of the
portico are Ionic."
The first court house was not removed until October, 1859, and the
following appeared in the Free Press, the*i published here : "Once it was the
house of the town. I remember well when all the business of the county was
conducted in it. Thither we used to go every Tuesday night to the post-
office to hear our old townsman. Jesse Rickman, the postmaster, read over
the list of mail matter brought in by Valentine Adamson. It was not until
the spring of 1853 that we got mail over once a week, and that was brought
every Tuesday by Val Adamson, and we used to gather around the old court
house while 'Jess' Rickman opened the mail. In that same old house w'e
used to ha\e both law and gospel dealt out to us."
It was in this old house that many of the early county laws and ap-
propriations were made. With its passing, came in a new and better era of
county government.
Court house number two. the one erected in 1857. was the one in
which stood the treasury safe which in 1868 was broken into and robbed of
about three thousand five hundred dollars in cash.
This structure stood and served well its purpose until the present mag-
nificent temple of justice was placed on the ground where the old one stood.
JASPER COUNTY, TOWA. 83
THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
This building, second to but few, if any, on Iowa soil today, was dedi-
cated April 6, 191 1, and cost the county in round figures the sum of two
hundred thousand dollars, which included the fixtures, etc.
The first act of the board of supervisors looking to the erection of this
splendid court house was in 1908, when the board called an election for the
purpose of getting an expression of the people on this subject. Popular
consent was easily obtained. In February, 1909, a contract was let; work
commenced April i, 1909. and the building was dedicated Thursday, April
6. 191 1, Judge Horace E. Deemer, of the supreme bench of Iowa, deliver-
ing the speech.
The building is one hundred twenty feet and eight inches long and
eighty feet wide. The tower is one hundred forty feet high from the curb-
ing on the street below*. There are sixty rooms and four vaults in the struc-
ture and an electric clock in each suite of rooms in the building, all regu-
lated by the master-clock in the rooms of the auditor's office. The contract
price for the court house was $140,825.71 ; the heating plant, $15,500; archi-
tect and superintendent, $7,900; furniture, etc., $36,000, making a total ex-
penditure of $200,225. This magnificent building is constructed of the
celebrated Bedford (Indiana) stone, the best building limestone to be found
in the country. A minute description is needless here, for be it rememljered
that long after the pages of this county history are worn and turned yellow
W'ith age, in all human probability this building will stand in all its massive
beauty.
It may be well, however, to add this concerning the new (1911) tem-
ple of justice : The four emblematic paintings are by Edgar Cameron, of
Chicago, and are each illustrative of some incident in Jasper county's his-
tory. On the south side of the rotunda is a scene of a prairie fire and a herd
of buffalo; on the east is a group of Unitd States soldiers, camped on the
banks of Skunk river, west of Newton, in the early forties; on the north a
scene of the departing Indian and the coming of the white man. his cabin
and domestic surroundings; on the west side may be seen the soldier boys
leaving for the front, in Civil war days, in which are to be seen the teams
and the relatives of the newly enlisted men, with waving flags as they bid
home and loved ones "good bye." These paintings are all real works of art
and add materially to the charm of the building.
The filing cabinets and book racks are all steel and fitted w^ith sliding
fronts, dust and light proof, for the preservation of papers. In addition in
84 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
those offices needing- them are large fire-proof vaults, as large and liglit and
comfortable to work in as the oflfice rooms proper.
On the first floor is a room set apart for the exclusive use of the Grand
Arniv of tho RciHiMic. in whicli there is everything attractive. In its
border of mural decorati^ui are painted the names of nineteen of the import-
ant battles of the Civil conflict, including Manassas and the windup at Ap-
pomattox.
.\nother si)ccial and modern feature of this court house building is the
spacious, elegantly equipped ladies' rest room, on the first floor, easily ac-
cessible to the street. Here the ladies from town and country may while
away an hour and rest.
On tlie same floor is an assembly room, which is finely furnished and
here farmers and others may hold public meetings. This easily seats two
hundred persons.
Hie clock in the tower is tiie latest achievement in time-pieces. It is
fitted with an automatic attachment so that every day it winds itself and
each night it turns on the electric lights which show through its eight-foot
dial to the four sides of the public. square. One thousand two hundred dol-
lars of its cost was made uj) by private donations of Jasper county citizens.
Aside, perhaps, from the Des Moines (Polk county) public building,
nothing in all Iowa compares with this beautiful, modern court house. The
following gentlemen were associated in the production of this, Jasper
county's latest public l)uilding: Proudfoot & Bird, architects; James Row-
son & Son, contractors; Norman A. Price, superintendent; Frank Sellman,
auditor; supervisors during its construction, D. S. Fleck, chairman of the
board. W. O. Livingston. J. F. Khse and C. F. Sauerman.
At the dedication of this l)uilding there were one Imndred and twenty
names entered in a book provided for the occasion, showing those present at
the exercises who had seen the erection of the old court house of 1858. In
this "book of fame,'' as it was appropriately styled, the oldest man to sign
his name was C. A. Dotson, of Colfax, aged ninety vears and who came to
Jasper county in 1848. The youngest man to sign was J. A. Blackwood,
aged fifty-five years and who was three years old when the old court house
was erected. Then another feature of this record book was tlie signing of
the same by the oldest living settler in Jasper county, the venerable R. F.
McKJinney, who is not the oldest person, but the oldest settler now living in
the county, he having arrived here in 1846. at the age of seven vears. three
years after tlie first wliite man liad invaded the county's domain.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA, 85
John B. Owens, of Newton, aged seventy-three, signed with the same
pen which was used hy him on a hke occasion for the 1858 court house,
having retained the same during all these long, eventful years.
The chapter on "Reminiscences" in this volume will contain an article
from the ready, graphic pen of J. H. I'\igard, of Newton, which will round
out the history of Jasper county's last two court houses. (See index.)
DETAILED FACTS CONCERNING THE BUILDING.
Authorized at election November 3, 1908
Contract let February 18, 1909
Work commenced April i. 1909
Building completed April 6, 191 1
Length 120 feet and 8 inches
Width 80 feet
Height to cornice 56 feet
Height of tower 140 feet
Number of rooms 60
Number of vaults 4
Diameter of clock faces 7 feet
Contract price $140,825.71
Heating plant 15,500.00
Architect and Superintendent 7,900 00
Furniture, etc 36.000.00
Total $200,225.71
THE COUNTY JAIL.
The first permanent and separate jail for Jasper county was erected in
1877, at a cost of a contract price of fourteen thousand six hundred dollars,
to John W. Rice, who gave l)onds to the amount of ten thousand dollars for
the faithful performance of his work. It is a brick building, just to the
southwest of the public square. It is a jail and sheriff's house combined and
is a neat, modern structure, always kept clean and sanitary. The contract
was let in December, 1876, and the building was first opened in 1877. In its
rear is the city water works and lighting plant, with the new high steel water
tower overlooking it.
86 JASl'ER COUNTY, IOWA.
THE COUNTY HOME.
The present county home was built through a contract entered into
April 1 6, 1896, with S. T. Roberts, of Des Moines. The building commit-
tee consisted of J. C. Donahey, chairman. Ed. Cook and Alfred Davey. The
building was completed in October of the same year the contract was made.
A one mill tax levy was made on the property of the county for the erection
of this building. The election was had with the general election in Novem-
ber, 1895, at which this proposition had 1,613 ^otes for and 1,545 against
the building.
Times change with the administration of different sets of county offi-
cials, as will be observed by reading the two resolutions concerning this poor
farm.
At the April session in 1896, the board resolved: "We will not here-
after allow payment for any but substantial, such as supplies and clothing,
and positively refuse to allow payment for green apples, plums, cranberries,
peaches, high grade flour in no case save sickness and then on an order from
the attending physician."
Way back in Commissioner Burton's administration, a quarter of a
century ago, he states to the writer that he had one man — an inmate of the
place — to raise poultry to the amount of over four hundred chickens and
two hundred turkeys. When fully grown, he saw fit to dole these chickens
and turkeys out to the old men and women who had poor appetites. He
was called up on the carpet and the board found much fault with him, think-
ing that he should sell such provisions and feed the inmates, regardless of
age and health, on the plain foods such as the more hearty could live upon.
Mr. Burton let his holy indignation Che came from old Virginia) rise and
arose in his seat and exclaimed : "So long as I have charge of the poor fann
I will do just as I have done and when you don't like my style you simply
say so and I will resign my position to another." This ended it — he went
ahead and heard no further murmuring from the stingy board.
The last report of the county auditor gives the following concerning
the report of the superintendent of the county home of Jasper county : Num-
ber of inmates January i, 1910, thirty -nine: admitted in 1910, eight; total,
forty-seven. Number of deaths during 1910, se\en : number discharged in
1910, six: total enrolled January i, 191 1, thirty-four.
Total expenditures for 1910, including groceries, clothing, coal, to-
bacco, furniture, feed and stock, improvements, doctor's bills, steward and
stewardess, with payment on lighting plant. $8,614. Total sales from the
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 8/
county farm for 1910, $3,981 ; net gain in invoice during 1910, $988.75.
Outside the county home, the expenses were $5,020. For the three preced-
ing- years the figures were: In 1906, $5,969; 1907, $6,119; 1908, $5,813.
THE JASPER COUNTY SEAL.
As has been previously noticed, the first seal of this county was im-
provised by using the imprint of a ten-cent coin piece. Then later the county
commissioners were allowed to purchase a real seal, which was in the lat-
ter part of the forties or early in the fifties. This seal is the same in use
today. It is quite emblematic. It is composed of the figure of an American
eagle sitting on the edge of ''union,'' or a striped shield, which shield is
resting on the beam of a huge plow turning a heavy furrow of virgin sod.
In the rotunda of the new court house in Xewton this design has been en-
larged to cover a space described by a circle not less than eight feet in
diameter. It is in colors made by the different tints of the marble flooring.
The only lettering on the seal is, ''Seal of Jasper County, Iowa."
OFFICIAL DIRECTORY I9II.
Auditor. H. S. Rayburn; deputy auditor. C. O. Edge; clerk, Frank
Wilson; deputy clerk, Harvey Gribben; treasurer, O. B. Kipp; deputy treas-
urer. Blanche Kipp; recorder, R. H. Bailey; deputy recorder, Fay Horn;
sheriff, W. S. Gove ; deputy sheriff, Harry Gove ; county superintendent,
Olive Shriner; deputy county superintendent, Edith Parvin; county attorney,
Ross R. Mowry; county surveyor, W. F. Byers; coroner. James C. Hill;
members of board of supervisors, D. S. Fleck, C. F. Sauerman, ^^^ O. Liv-
ingston.
NEW ROAD DRAG LAW.
In the winter of 1910-11, the Iowa Legislature passed a new road drag
law, of which the following is one of the sections :
"Section 2. The township trustees shall from time to time designate
what districts shall be dragged, which must include all the mail routes and
all the main traveled roads within the township; they shall at their regular
meeting in April, or at a special meeting called for that purpose, appoint a
superintendent of dragging, who shall be a resident of the township, or any
citv or town within said township, who shall serve for one year unless
sooner removed by the board: they shall fix the amount of his compensa-
tion, which shall not exceed two dollars and fifty cents per day and actual
88 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
expenses for each day of eight hours while engaged in necessary work for
the township, and for giving notice to contractors who shall be required
to drag he shall receive such additional compensation as the board may di-
rect; they shall furnish suitable road drags for the township and pay for
same out of the township road funds; they shall adopt a suitable form
of notice to be given by the superintendent of dragging when ordering the
roads dragged, stipulating the manner of serving same."
It is believed that this new law will serve to greatly facilitate the
making of improved roads, and Jasper county has already put the law into
force. There are several excellent *'road-drags" manufactured within this
county, one of which is made entirely of steel and is adjustable in its
operation.
CHAPTER VII.
COUNTY, STATE AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATION.
The chief object of this chapter is to give the reader a complete Hst
of all county officers ; also to inform him as to who have represented the people
of Jasper county in state and national official positions. It may serve as a
fair political index of the county since the early days to the present, as in
cases the vote is given on certain officers, showing the party strength.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE.
1848—
Zachary Taylor (D) Elected.
1852—
Franklin Pierce (D)
Winfield Scott (Whig).
1856—
James Buchanan (D) Elected.
John C. Fremont (R).
i8"6(^-
Abraham Lincoln (R) Elected
Stephen A. Douglas (Northern D)
John C. Breckenridge (South. D).
1864—
Abraham Lincoln (R) Elected.
George B. McClellan (D)
1868—
U. S. Grant (R) 2.999
Horatio Seymour fD) . . . . 1.282
1872—
U. S. Grant (R) 2.848
Horace Greeley (Lib. D) . . 942
1876—
Rutherford B. Hayes (R) . .
Samuel J. Tilden (D)
1880—
James A. Garfield f R) . . . .
\Mnfield Scott Hancock ( D)
James B. Weaver (Gr'enb'k)
1884—
Grover Cleveland (D) . . . .
James G. Blaine (R)
John P. St. John (Prohi.)
Benjamin Harrison (R) . . .
Grover Cleveland (D) . . . .
1892—
Benjamin Harrison (R) . . .
Grover Cleveland (D) . . . .
James B. A\^eaver (Peo.) . .
1896—
William Mcl\iinley (R)
William J. Bryan (D)
John M. Palmer (Nat. D) . .
John Levering (Prohi.) . . . .
1900 —
\\'illiam McKinley (R.)
William J. Bryan (D.)
John G. Wooley (Prohi.)..
3.162
2.734
2,997
3.138
2.340
3.i7<^>
2.556
3-7T3
2.747
3. 161
90
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
1904—
Theodore Roosevelt {R) ■ . 3.962
Alton B. Parker (D) 1,942
Silas C. Swallow (Prohi.)
Eugene V. Debs (Soc.) ....
1908 —
William H. Taft (R)..
William J. Bryan (D) .
E. W. Chafin (Prohi.).
Eugene V. Debs (Soc.) .
3o43
2,889
UNITED STATES SENATORS.
The following is a list of the United States Senators from Iowa
first General Assembly failed to elect a U. S. Senator.
The
1848-58— George W. Jones (D)
1848-55 — Augustus C. Dodge (D).
1855-65 — James Harlan (Whig).
1858-70 — James W. Grimes (R).
1866-72 — James Harlan (R).
1865-67 — Samuel J. Kirkwood (R).
1870-72 — James B. Howell (R).
1871-77 — George G. Wright (R).
1 872-1908— William B. Allison (R).
1 877- 1 894— J. H. Gear (R).
CONGRESSMEN.
1877-81 — Samuel J. Kirkwood (R).
1881-83— James McDill (R).
1 882- 1 894— James F. Wilson (R).
1 895- 1 900 — John H. Gear (R).
1900-10 — Jonathan P. Dolliver (R).
19 10 — few months — Hon. Lafayette
Young (appointed).
1908 — Albert B. Cummins (R).
19 II — W. S. Kenyon (R).
Since 1875 the congressmen from the sixth district have been as follows
1875-78 — Ezekial Sampson.
1879-80 — James B. Weaver.
1881-83— John C. Cook.
1883-84— M. E. Cutts.
1885-86— M. E. Cutts.
1887-88 — James B. Weaver.
1889-90 — James B. Weaver.
1891-92 — ^John F. Lacy.
1893-94 — Fred E. White.
1895-06 — John F. Lacy.
1907-08 — D. W. Hamilton.
1909-11 — N. E. Kendall.
GOVERNORS OF IOWA.
1846-50 — Ansel Briggs (D).
1850-54 — Stephen Hemstead (D).
1854-58 — James W. Grimes (Whig).
1858-60— Ralph P. Lowe (R).
1860-64 — Samuel J. Kirkwood (R).
1864-68— William M. Stone (R).
1868-72— Samuel Merrill (R).
] 872-76 — Cyrus C. Carpenter (R).
1876-77 — Samuel G. Kirkwood (R).
1878 (part)— Sam'l G. Newbold (R)
1878-82— John H. Gear (R).
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 9 1
1 882- 1 886— 1895-97—
Biiren R. Sherman (R) 2,073 F. M. Drake (R) 2,875
L. G. Kinnie (D) 695 W. J. Babb (D) 1,414
D. M. Clark (P) 687 1897-190CK-
1885-1889— Leslie M. Shaw (R) 3,116
William Larrabee (R) . . . . 2,756 F. E. White (D) 3*240
C. E. Whiting (D) 2,462 1900- 1902 —
1889-1891 — Leslie M. Shaw ( R) 3-33^)
— Hutchison (R) 2,791 F. E. \\'hite (D) 3.009
Horace Boies (D) 2,276 1901-1908 —
1891-1893 — Albert B. Cummins (R)... 3,434
Hiram C. Wheeler f R) .... 3,077 T. J. Phillips (D) 2,190
Horace Boies (D) 2,695 1908-1912 —
1893-1895 — B. F. Carroll (R) 3,3^7
Frank D. Jackson (R) 3,075 Fred E. White (D) 2,825
Horace Boies (D) 2,365
STATE SENATORS.
The state senators who have lived in Jasper county and represented
this district have been as follows :
EHsha Flaugh, tenth General Assembly.
M. D. Doud. twenty-first and twenty-second General Assemblies.
Perry Engle, twenty-third and twenty-fourth Assemblies.
Dr. J. R. Gorrell, twenty-eighth Assemblies.
F. L. Maytag, twenty -ninth to thirty-third Assemblies.
REPRESENTATIVES.
!
First General Assembly. John Kinsman.
Sixth General Assembly, David Edmundson.
Seventh General Assembly, S. B. Shelledy.
Eighth General Assembly, C. ^L Davis.
Tenth General Assembly. Salem Jeffries.
Eleventh General Assembly, David Ryan.
Twelfth General Assembly, M. W. Atwood.
Thirteenth General Assembly. Caleb Bundy.
I Fourteenth General Assembly, John P. Beatty.
92
ASl'KR COUNTY. IOWA.
Fifteenth Cieneral Assembly. George M. \\ilson.
Sixteenth General Assembly. Georg-e M. Wilson.
Seventeenth General Assembly. Joel W. Deweese.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth (General Assemblies. Eli E. Dotson.
Twentieth General .\ssembly. \\'illiam H. McColloch, H. B. C. Ward.
Twentv-first and twenty-second General Assemblies, Aaron Custer.
Twenty-third, twenty-seventh General Assemblies, Samuel B. Powers.
Twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth General Assemblies, C. N. Doane.
Twenty-sixth General Assembly. X. A. Wells.
Twenty-eighth General Assembly, W. W. Hawk.
Twenty-ninth General Assembly, AV. W. Hawk.
Thirtieth to thirty-third General Assemblies. John E. Offill.
Thirty-third General Assembly, William R. Cooper.
EARLY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
1846 — John R. Sparks, Joab Bennett, ]\Ianly Gifford.
1847 — ^lanly Gifford. Nathan Williams, John R. Sparks.
1848 — Same as 1847.
1849 — J*'hn R. Sparks, Nathan Williams, John B. Hammack.
1850 — Nathan Williams, John R. Sparks, James A. Tool.
1 85 1 — James A. Tool, Willis Green, Levi Plummer.
commissioners' clerks.
1846 — John H. Eranklin. 1847 — Jesse Rickman (to fill va-
1847 — Washington Eleener. cancy).
1848 — Jesse Rickman.
COUNTY judges.
This office was abolished by law in 1868.
1852 — Jesse Rickman. 1862 — Riley Ashley.
1856— William P. Norris. 1864— J. A. Harris.
1838 — David Edmundson. 1866 — O. C. Howe.
SHERIFFS.
1846-7— David Edmundson. 1850 — Ballinger Aydelotte.
1848 — Silas Dooley. 1832 — Rilev Ashlev.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
93
854— J. A. Shellady.
856 — William Kromer,
857 — D. E. Longfellow.
858— J. T. Hull.
860-R. Ashley.
864 — Chancy Howard.
866 — James 'SI. Rodgers.
872— \\'. C. Hawk.
874 — J. R. Zollinger.
879 — James S. Hunter.
88 T — James S. Hunter.
883— H. L. Weston.
88 s— H. L- \\'eston
1887— M
1889— I.
1891— M
1893-M
1895— D.
1897— D.
1899— C.
1 90 1 — C.
1903— :^r
1905 — M.
1908 — F.
1 910 — W
. A. McCord.
L. Patton.
. A. McCord.
. A. McCord.
R. Tripp.
R. Tripp.
H. Hook.
H. Hook.
. B. Moberly
. B. Moberly.
H. Russell.
S. Gove.
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
846— Silas Sawyer.
848 — Samuel SI. Coleman.
849 — Elisha Hammer.
852 — ^John Q. Deakin.
856— W. P. Cole.
858— S. W^ Foreman.
860— E. T. Preston.
866 — John Collier.
1868 — Charles C. Turner.
1872 — Aaron S. Stuver.
1876 — \\'illiam L. LeFever.
1879 — William L. LeFever.
1881 — Willard F. Byers. serving un-
til 1906.
1906— P. R. Rice.
1908 — W. F. Byers. still serving.
CLERKS OF THE DISTRICT COURT.
847 — Thomas J. Adamson.
848— Peter :\Iiller.
850 — William ^L Springer.
832— W. P. Xorris.
854 — C. C. Turner.
857 — Joseph B. Hough.
861 — Owen Davis.
865 — John A. Seaton.
869— A\'. R. ^rcCully.
877^ — Leroy B. Westbrook.
878— L. B. \\^estbrook.
880— ^L P. Doud.
882— :^L P. Doud.
884— G. W. Harlan.
1886 — George W. Harlan.
1888— X. Townsend.
1890 — X. Townsend.
1892 — John L. Mathews.
1894 — John S. Mathews.
1896 — John A. Mathews.
1898— t. H. Kapple.
1900 — J. A. Mathews.
1902 — Earnest Early.
1904 — Earnest Early.
1906— P. H. Healy.
1908— P. H. Healy.
19TO — Frank A\'ilson.
94
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
COUNTY ATTORNEYS.
1886— J. A. Kerr.
1888— W. G. Clements.
1892 — E. J. Salmon.
i8g6— O. C. Meredith.
1900 — Henry Sihvolcl.
1904 — P. H. Creagen.
1902 — P. H. Creagen.
1906 — E. P. ]\Ialmberg.
1908— E. P. Malmberg.
COUNTY TREASURERS.
Up to 1804 the office of treasui
The records show, however, that the
sitions in Jasper county :
1846 — J. \V. Swann.
1848 — John E. Copp.
1850 — Henry Rodgers.
1854— A. T. Ault.
1858 — Elisha Hammer.
1862— J. W. Wilson.
1 864 — Thomas Arthur.
1866 — Josiah B. Eyerly.
1872 — E. H. Bartow.
1876 — George Z. Anderson.
1878— S. E. Zinn.
1879— D. G. Winchell.
1881— D. G. Winchell.
1883— S. H. Galusha.
er and recorder was one and the same,
following served in their respective po-
1885— S. H. Galusha.
1887— A. K: Brown.
1889 — A. K. Brown.
1 89 1 — Erank R. W^itmer.
1893 — Frank R. Witmer.
1895 — Willard Howard.
1897 — Willard Howard.
1899 — Henr}^ Galusha.
1 90 1 — Frank E. Robins.
1903 — Frank E. Robins.
1906 — Phillip Scharf.
1908— O. B. Kipp.
1 9 10 — O. B. Kipp.
COUNTY RECORDER.
1846 — Seth Hammer.
1848 — John E. Copp.
1830 — Henry Rogers.
1858 — Elisha Hammer.
1862— J. W. Wilson.
1864 — Thomas Arthur.
1865 — John C. Wilson
1869— G. W. Chinn.
1873— W. H. Hough.
1877 — Williamson N. Carrothers.
1878— W\ B. Russell.
1879— S. S. Wilson.
1880 — Thomas M. Rodgers.
1882 — Thomas M. Rodgers.
1884 — Ezra Adkins.
1886 — Ezra Adkins.
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA.
95
1888 — Jo Cunningham.
1890 — Jo Cunningham.
1892— J. W. Jeffries.
1894— J. W. Jeffries.
1896— A. G. West.
1898 — Fred A. Eaton.
1900 — A. J. Streeter.
1902 — A. J. Streeter.
1904 — James Campbell.
1906 — E. E. Erwin.
1908— R. H. Bailey.
1910 — R. H. Bailey.
COUNTY CORONERS.
852 — Thomas J. Adamson.
854 — David S. Fuller.
856 — Joseph Hickman.
858 — Hugh Rodgers.
864 — W. M. Carrothers.
866— Hugh Newell.
868— David S. Stiver.
871 — Hugh Rodgers.
876— E. W. Mitchell.
878— Hugh Xewell.
879 — Hugh Newell, until 1887.
887— T. J. Robins.
1889— T. J. Robins.
1 89 1 — Hugh Newell.
1893 — Hugh Newell.
1895 — Hayden Reynolds.
1897 — Hayden Reynolds.
1899— H.'C. Gill.'
1901 — T. H. Jacobs.
1903 — S. M. Robinson.
1906 — C. E. Boyd.
1908 — James C. Hill.
1 910 — James C. Hill.
COUNTY AUDITORS.
This office was created and that of
auditor, since that date, being ex-officio
isors.
868-9—0. C. Howe.
869— G. R. Ledyard.
871 — G. R. Ledyard.
873— G. R. Ledyard.
875— G. R. Ledyard.
877— G. R. Ledyard.
879 — Moses Greenleaf.
881 — Moses Greenleaf.
883— B. \y. Brown.
885— B. \y. Brown.
887— J. T. Hunt.
county judge abolished in 1868. the
clerk of the lx)ard of county super-
1889— J. T. Hunt.
1892 — J. M. Rayburn.
1894 — J. 'SI. Rayburn.
1896 — Frank Fisk.
1898 — Joseph Horn.
1900 — Joseph Horn.
1902 — Eugene Bean.
1904 — Eugene Bean.
1906 — Frank Sellman.
1908 — Frank Sellman.
19 TO — H. S. Rayburn.
g() JASPKK COUNTY. IOWA.
PROSECUTING ATTORN KVS.
183 i_H. J. Skiff. 1 85r)— William B. Sloan.
1853— J. N. Edgar. 1857— D. L. Clark.
Following this came the office of district attorney, which did away
w ith the office of prosecuting attorney.
SUPERINTB^TDENT OF SCHOOLS.
1858— Albert Lufkin. 1887— J. \V. Iliff.
1862— James Porter. 1889— C. O. McClain.
1864— D. Thomas. 1891— C. O. McClain.
1866— David Craig. 1893— ^^I. A. Walsh.
1868— Sanford J. Moyer. 1895— Minnie A. Walsh.
1872— C. D. Hipsley. 1897— E. C. Meredith.
1876 — W. G. Work. 1899 — Libbie Dean.
1878 — M. A. Mayfield. 1901 — Libbie Dean.
1879 — R- -^- ^lathews. 1903 — J. E. Roberts.
]88i— R. A. Mathews. 1906— Laura W. Killduff.
1883 — Daniel Miller. 1909 — Olive Shriner.
1885— Daniel Miller.
SCHOOL FUND COMMISSIONERS.
This was an office that was abolished when that of superintendent of
schools was created in 1858. The commissioners were: 1851, Jesse Rick-
man: 1853. T[arve\- J. Skiff; 1857. James G. Afeek.
COUNTY SUPERVISORS.
The governing power of all Iowa counties since i86t, when the one-
man-power county-judge system was shorn of its authority, has been
vested in the board of supervisors. Up to about 1871 there was one su-
pervisor from each township within the county, but at that time it was
changed to three and sometimes five (according to population) for the en-
tire county, the same representing districts, in which they must reside.
Under the former supervisor system the list in Jasper county was :
1861 — David McCord, chairman; William N. Harrah. C. M. Davis,
Morris Cating, Salem Jeffries. Reuben Johnson. John McCracken, G. W.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 97
Chinn, Caleb Jordan, James E. Butler, A. G. Groves, William G. Romans,
Perry Matteson, Elisha Flaiigh, George Ryati.
1862 — David McCord, chairman; Reuben Johnson, James Shaw,
Joseph Dodd, Salem Jeffries, E. Flaugh. .V. McDonald, William N. Harrah,
Caleb Jordan, R. L. McCroy, \\\ G. Romans, John McCracken, James E.
Butler, A. G. Groves, IMorris Gating, C. M. Davis.
1863 — E. Flaugh, chairman; J. E. Butler, D. McCord, Reuben John-
son, Isaac Porter, Nicholas Graffis, \\"m. X. Harrah, Caleb Jordan, James
Shaw, Salem Jeffries, Manly Gifford, F. Gary, A. W. McDonald, Joseph
Dodd. Levi Plummer.
1864— C. M. Davis. M. Griffis, Thomas Haskett, Manly Gifford. R. B.
Dawson. J. A. Killin. A. W. ]VlcDonald. L. Plummer, E. H. Bartow, C.
Jordan, D. McCord, J. McCracken, J. E. Butler, J. Dodd, George Ryan,
W. N. Harrah, chairman.
1865 — Joseph Dodd, George Ryan, John Taylor, R. S. Williams,
Thomas Haskett. R. B. Dawson, John Sumpter, John A. Fillin, A. W. Mc-
Donald, E. H. Bartow, P. H. Doud, Caleb Jordan, John Breeden, C. M.
Davis, W. R. Skiff, James E. Butler, John Taylor, W. N. Harrah, chair-
man.
1866— E. H. Bartow, chairman; A\'. R. Skiff, Joseph Dodd, C. M.
Davis, John Taylor, Joel Osgood. James Shaw. M. W. Atwood, P. H.
Doud, William R. McCully, James E, Butler, John Breeden, James Rhine-
hart. R. B. Dawson. Henry Hammer, Wesley Davis, R. S. Williams.
1867 — C. M. Davis, chairman; M. W. Atwood, Henry Hammer, Jacob
Kipp, W. Davis, G. W. Shafer, J. F. Lamb, G. W. Chinn, Addison White,
James Shaw. H. C. Peer, E. H. Bartow, J. G. Mudgett, Joseph Dodd, Salem
Jeffries, J. F. Beatty. D. Edmundson.
1868 — C. ^L Davis, chairman: \\'esley Davis, J. J. Mudgett, Henry Ham-
mer, J. F. Lamb. J. P. Beaty, H. C. Peer, J. Kipp. Joseph Dodd, Addison
White, A. W. McDonald, D. Edmundson, William J. Rippey, G. W. Chinn,
E. H. Bartow, Thomas Peer, Riley Ashley.
1869 — Riley Ashley, Jacob Kipp, J. L. Smith, J. L. Laughlin, H. C.
Peer. Addison White, C. M. Davis, chairman.
1870 — J. P. Beatty, Reuben Johnson, J. L. Smith, C. M. Davis, J. C.
Hiatt. E. Ross, George Harst, J. I-. Laughlin, A. W. McDonald, A. J.
Hamilton. \Y. Carrothers, J. Kipp, C. D. Conwell, Wesley Davis, H. C.
Peer. F. E. Phelps. D. P. Craven. A. White, D. Edmundson. chairman.
1871 — Elisha Flaugh, chairman: A. W. McDonald. George Harst.
(7)
^8 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Under the later system of the 1871 code, this county has had but
three supervisors, the county^ being divided into supervisor districts. Those
serving as such have been:
1872 — George Harst, chairman; Daniel Arnold, John C. Hiatt.
1873 — George Harst, chairman; Daniel Arnold, John Burton.
1874 — Daniel Arnold, chairman; John Burton, W. G. Romans.
187^ — W. G. Romans, chairman; John Burton, Jesse Slavins.
1876 — W. G. Romans, chairman; Jesse Slavins, C. N. Doane.
1877 — S. G. Butters, chairman. Jesse Slavin. C. N, Doane.
1878 — S. G. Butters, chairman; C. N. Doane, Daniel Arnold.
1879 — B. W. Brown, long term.
1 88 1 — Henry S. Effnor, long term.
From this time on one supervisor was elected each year as follows :
1882— A. R Smith. 1895— ^^'. J. Miller.
1883 — William Byall. 1896 — John T. \\^inters.
1884 — John Roberts. 1897 — Ed Cook.
1885— James Stark. 1898— W. J. Miller.
1886— William Byall. 1899— C. T. Shill.
1887— E. H. Burton. i90C^G. C. Hart.
1888 — James Stark. 1901 — William Dentsch.
1889— W. H. Daft. 1902— C. T. Shill.
1890 — J. C. Donahey. 1903 — Geo. C. Hart.
1891 — Alfred Davey. 1904 — J. H. Hise.
1892— W. H. Daft. 1906— F. J. Klise.
1893 — J. C. Donahey. 1908 — D. S. Fleck, G. W. Parsons.
1894 — Alfred Davey. 1910 — \\'. O. Livingston.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS I9II-I2.
Justices of the Peace — Hickory Grove township, A. H. Palmer; Inde-
pendence, W. R. Vandike; Independence, Harry Hazlett; Newton, M. J.
Carey; Newton, J. W. Allfree; K'ellogg, F. L. Phipps, Kellogg, J. N. Stuart;
Richland, H. Laskewitz; Buena Vista, P. C. Welle; Mound Prairie. Will-
iam Mabie; Mound Prairie, William Gist; Washington. W. H. Hagendorn;
Washington, P. H. Cragan : Des Moines, T. J. Cowman; Des Moines, F. E.
Cooper: Fairview. M. W. Bateman; Elk Creek. A. J. Hayes; Lynn Grove,
J, H. Shaw; Lynn Grove, R. L, Sparks.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA, 99
Townfehip Clerks — Hickory Grove, Frank Beatty ; Mariposa, T, O.
Sheek; Malaka, L. H. Weseman; Independence, R. M. Lane; Clear Creek,
J. A. Leonard; Poweshiek, L. C. Westfall; Sherman, J. H. Mallicoat; New-
ton, G. W. Edge; Kellogg, H. S. Roth; Rock Creek, W. H. Burroughs;
Richland, V. B. Bailey ; Buena Vista, R. F. Agar ; Palo Alto, R. L. Rees ;
Mound Prairie, W. S. Westbrook; Washington, Ira J. Mead; Des Moines,
Hugh G. Little: Fairview. W. M. Livingston; Elk Creek, W. D. McKinney;
Lynn Grove, C. F. Briggs.
supervisors' districts.
District Xo. i — Clear Creek, Poweshiek, IMalaka, ^Mariposa. Sherman,
Independence, north one-half of Newton.
1
District No. 2 — Hickory Grove, Rock Creek, Kellogg, Richland, Buena
Vista, Lynn Grove, south one-half of Newton.
District No. 3 — Elk Creek, Washington, Mound Prairie, Palo Alto,
Fairview, Des Moines.
CHAPTER VIII.
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND STOCKRAISING.
The United States is an agricultural country; Iowa is classed as one
of the best agricultural states, and Jasper county is considered among the
most advanced agricultural counties within the state of Iowa. Here the
farmer is king. By the aid of improved machinery, he is able to draw from
this, the richest soil on earth, an abundance of all that is produced by suc-
cessful agriculturists, fruit-growers and stock raisers. It may be said
that outside the lively manufacturing industries at Newton and other points
within Jasper county, and the fairly good mining interests, that the county
is purely a farming section, where the farmer has grown rich, comfortable
and happy in the thought that he has l^een able to provide for his own family
and at the same time produce enough to feed the vast army of men and
women in Eastern countries who have to depend on the West and its rich
soil for about all they consume. Especially has corn been successful here.
For a number of years Jasper won the banner for raising the most corn of
any of the ninety-nine counties in Iowa, Polk, Pottawattamie, Page and Har-
rison being the only real rivals for honors.
The state census compendium for 1905 — the last official document on
these matters — gave the following on Jasper county :
"Population 1900. 26,900; area in square miles, 720; county settled
in 1843; produced in 1905 — Bushels corn, 5,587,482; bushels wheat, 64,863;
bushels oats, 1,287,410; bushels barley, 57,854; bushels ry-e, 3,289; tons
clover, 4.192; tons timothy, 49-999; tons millet, 950; tons wild hay. 3.81 1;
bushels clover seed, 367; bushels timothy seed, 4.706; bushels potatoes,
209.369 ; bushels sweet potatoes, 2,438 ; bushels sweet corn, 24,046 ; eggs and
poultry. $272,323; dairy products, $306,201; fruits. $117,985; value farm
animals. $3,236,468; value railroad and other corporations, .$3,704,276; value
personal property, $9,438,984; value of lands, $22,882,960; value of town
lots, $4,734,820; total value. $40,761,040.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 101
YIELD PER ACRE, RAINFALL, ETC.
Since 1890 the average yield per acre for the ordinary crops in Jasper
county has been as follows :
1890 — Corn, thirty bushels; wheat, twelve bushels: oats, seventeen
bushels ; barley, thirty-five bushels : potatoes, forty-five bushels ; hay, two
tons.
1891 — Corn, forty-four bushels: wheat, fourteen bushels: oats, forty-
one bushels: 1)arley. thirty-six bushels: potatoes, one hundred and sixtv-two
bushels : hay, two tons.
1892 — Corn, thirty-one bushels; wheat, eleven bushels; oats, twenty-
nine bushels; barley, twenty- four bushels; potatoes, fifty-seven bushels: hay,
one ton and a half.
189^^ — Corn, thirty-nine bushels; wheat, eleven bushels: oats, twenty-
four bushels; barley, twenty-five bushels; potatoes, seventy- four 'bushels;
hay, one and seven-tenths tons.
1894 — Corn, thirteen bushels: Avheat. twelve bushels: oats, twenty bush-
els: barley, fifteen bushels: potatoes, fifty-six Imshels : hay. one-half ton.
1895 — Corn, forty-seven bushels: wheat, eighteen bushels; oats, fifty-
one bushels : barley, twenty-four bushels ; potatoes, one hundred and twenty-
two bushels: hay. one ton and a half.
1896 — Corn, forty-four bushels: wheat, fourteen bushels: oats, twenty
bushels ; barley, twenty-five bushels : potatoes, eighty-one bushels : hay, two
tons.
1897 — Corn, thirty-one bushels: wheat, thirteen bushels: oats, thirty
bushels : barley, twenty-four bushels : potatoes, sixty bushels : hay. one and
eight-tenths tons.
1898 — Corn, thirty-two Imshels: wheat, sixteen bushels: oats, thirty-
one bushels: barley, thirty bushels: potatoes, ninety-three bushels: hay. four
and four-tenths tons.
1899 — Corn, forty-five bushels: wheat, sixteen bushels: oats, forty-two
bushels : barley, thirty bushels ; potatoes, ninety-three bushels : hay. one and
a half tons.
1900 — Corn, forty-three bushels: wheat, eighteen bu.shels : oats, twenty-
nine bu.shels: barley, twenty- four bushels: potatoes, seventy- four bushels:
hay. one and six-tenths tons.
1901 — Corn, thirtv bushels: wheat, fifteen bushels: oats, twent^'-six
bushels ; barley, twenty-eight bushels : potatoes, fifty-five bushels : hay. one
and six-tenths tons.
I02 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
1902 — Corn, thirty-seven bushels; wheat, twelve bushels; oats, twenty-
six bushels: barley, twenty-eight bushels; potatoes, fifty-three bushels; hay,
one and eight-tenths tons.
The averages for all these years has been — Corn, thirty-five bushels
per acre; wheat, fourteen bushels; oats, thirty-one; barley, twenty-six bush-
els: potatoes, seventy-eight bushels; hay, one and six-tenths tons.
i
RAINFALL FROM MAY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 1ST.
1893, fifteen inches: 1894, seven inches; 1895, twenty inches; 1896,
twenty-seven and a half inches; 1897, eight and three-quarters inches; 1898,
fourteen inches; 1899, fifteen inches; 1900, twenty-one inches; 1901, ten
inches; 1902, twenty-nine inches.
The average rainfall for these years was sixteen and eighty-seven hun-
dredths inches. The greatest crops were produced in the year when there
was the greatest rainfall, 1896.
A(;RICULTrRAL SOCIETIES.
The Jasper County Agricultural Society dates its history from 1855,
during which year a county fair was held near the house of Da\id Edmund-
son, in a tent made of cloth borrowed for that purpose. A membership fee
was charged, which enabled the society to pay its little premium list. One
hundred and thirty-six premiums were awarded at the fourth fair held by
this society. Mrs. McCord showed the best grade of butter and Mrs. E.
Guthrie the best loaf of bi'ead. Evan Adamson was the sole exhibitor of
apples grown within Jasper county.
The officers of the society in 1858 were: C. M. Davis, president; R.
Shearer. J. \\\ Blackwood, vice-piesidents: H. S. Winslow, secretary; P. S.
Ritter. treasurer: C. Taylor, John Litner, Z. Mendenhall. E. S. Winslow, A.
Hursh. Stephen Xeedham, E. \\'. Cozard. \\'i11iam Mann. E. D. Duncan. R.
S. Williams, managers.
Tn 1859 one hundred and thirteen premiums were awarded. Only one
bull was exhibited that could give an authentic pedigree. The only fruit on
public exhibition was a specimen of fine grapes by D. E. Longfellow.
The society harl for its president in 1860 A. Failor. with D. E. Long-
fellow as secretary.
In December, 1859, an effort was made to secure .suitable fair grounds
for the annual exhibition of Jasper county ])roducts, and at a Januarv meet-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. IO3
ing of that year it was resolved to enclose ten acres of the intended purchase
with a fence seven feet high. It was also then decided to pay sixty cents on
a dollar of the premiums awarded in October. The receipts had been one
hundred thirty-two dollars and twenty-five cents and the expenditures eightv-
four dollars and forty-six cents, leaving a balance on hand of forty-seven
dollars and forty-nine cents.
The fair of i860 was a decided improvement over the 1859 exhibition,
the number of entries being three hundred and seventy -one. Adamson
showed some good varieties of home-grown apples and Longfellow some
fine grapes, while E. B. Johnson's display of small fruits was excellent.
Twelve thoroughbred cattle were enclosed in the pens of entries. A trotting
match was run and a span of mules drew six thousand two hundred and
thirty-eight pounds. The cash receipts that year was one hundred eighty-
four dollars and thirty-five cents.
What was styled the Central Iowa District Association was held at
Newton in August. 186 1. It may be of some interest at this remote date to
note the receipts and expenditures for this fair.
Receipts —
Four hundred and seven membership tickets $ 407.00
Single tickets 607.00
Restaurant receipts 80.15
Per cent 223.10
Rent of grounds 15.00
From State of Iowa 200.00
Total $io32-35
Expenditures —
Premiums awarded $1,346.25
Paid repairs to fence, stalls, etc 54-00
Paid lumber bill 70.28
Paid privies, police, gate hands, etc 126.27
Paid printing 12.00
Paid Mrs. Sanford labor 5.00
Paid Treasurer's assistant and expenses 3.00
Total St .628.80
104 JASfliR COUNTY, IOWA.
One of the interesting, exciting and novel exhibits of the occasion was
the cooking match in which ^liss Hattie Winslow. aged fourteen years, won
the premium of eight dollars offered by the society to the person who could
cook a meal of victuals in the least time, in the best manner. In forty-eight
minutes she prepared the following dishes, which were enjoyed greatly by
the committee on awards: Warm biscuits, fried chicken, tomatoes, pota-
toes, cabbage, tea and coffee.
Coming down to a little later date, it is discovered by the records that
in June. 1875, the society purchased an addition to the old grounds, paying
for the same the sum of one thousand three hundred dollars, and again in
Tune, 1881. a nine-acre tract additional, costing the society one thousand
"fifty dollars. This makes the present (1911) fair grounds to contain almost
thirty-six acres of ground, just south of th€ city proper, on high rolling land
and amid sightly surroundings, where are annually held the county fairs and
also the circuses, etc.. which from time to time come to Newton.
The following have served as presidents and secretaries of the agri-
cultural society: Rev. Thomas Merrill. 1855, president, and A. Failon. sec-
retary; (the president's name will come first in this list) James Deland, A.
Failor, 1856: C. M. Davis. IT. S. Winslow, 1858; the records are deficient
until 1860. when the president was A. Failor, secretary. Thomas Arthur; A.
Failor, Thomas Arthur. 1861 ; William R. Skiff. J. A. TTarris, 1862; William
R. Skiff, J. A. Harris. 1863; William R. Skifl'. J. J. Vaughan, 1864; A. Car-
rier. J. J. \^aughan, 1865: A. K. Emerson. J. J. Vaughan, t866; A. K. omer-
sun. J. J. N'aughan. 1867; Capt. J. H. Tait. F. W. Allum. 1868: A. Failor.
L. \\'. Allum. 7869; A. Failor. F. W. Allum. 1870: A. Failor. William R.
McCullv. 1871 ; another break in the records; A. K. Emerson. John W. Al-
free. 1886; A. K. Emerson. A. K. Failor. 1887; A. F. Harrah. A. Failor,
1888; A. Tx. Emerson. J. J. A^aughan. 1889; C. N. Doane, J. J. Vaughan,
1890; A. L. Harrah. J. J \^aughan. 1891 ; A L. Harrah, Arthur J. Wright,
1892; A. F. Harrah, Arthur J. Wright. 1893; H. D. Parsons. Arthur J.
Wright. 1894; H. D. Parsons. J. R. Crawford. 1895; T^. D. Parsons, J. R.
Crawford. 1896: H. D. Parsons. S. G. Russell. 1897; H. D. Parsons, A.
Failor, 1898; H. D. Parsons, A. Failor, 1899; H. D. Parsons. I. C. Khrf,
iQoo; H. D. Parsons. I. C. T\orf. 1901 ; W. J. Miller. C. W. Campbell. 1902;
A. Stewart. C. W. Campbell. K)03 : same in 1904-5; Fouie Aillaud, E. E.
Fambcrt. 1906: Fouie .\illaud. Emma Fufkin. 1907; Fouie Aillaud, E. F.
McMurray. 1908: C. F. Saucrman. J. H. dribbon. 1909; C. F. Sauerman, F
E. Meredith. 1910-1 1.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I05
These annual fairs have always been kept alive and much interest has
been manifested \\ith the passing years. The present grounds are well im-
proved and contain all that can be desired by exhibitors anywhere. Good
premiums are offered each year and a large attendance usually obtains, be
the weather fair or otherwise.
The following are the officers for the present season : President, C. F.
Sauerman : vice-president, J. C. Haiffeigh : secretary. F. E. Meredith : treas-
urer. Joe Horn. The directors elected to serve one year are X. J. Morgart,
Hickorv Grove: J. W. Jeffries. Des Moines township; J. P. Taylor. Lynn
Grove township; Tleorge Moore. Kellogg township; H. D. Parsons. Malaka
township; Mike Hummell. Fairview township; Louie Aillaud. Xewton town-
ship ; O. J. Turner. Rock Creek township ; William Carrier, at-large. Those
elected for a term of two years are C. \\'. Craven, Mariposa township; B. F.
Baker, Clear Creek township; E. E. Dotson. Washington township; Fred
Hager, Independence township; D. E. Donahey. Xewton township; R. B.
Yowell, Des Moines township; L. C. Watts, Richland township. Those
elected for a term of three years are F. H. Russell. Xewton; H. C. Strater,
Fairview township; H. L. ]\loffitt, Sherman township; W. A. Livingston.
Buena Vista township : John Meyer. Palo Alto township : Fred C. Andreas.
Elk Creek township; E. L. Duncan, Poweshiek township; W. J. Miller.
Mount Prairie township.
Among the more recent improvements made at the fair grounds may be
mentioned the new track built in 1910, said now to be the best half-mile track
in Iowa.
PRAIRIE CITY AGRICULTURAL .SOCIETY.
In 1870 a society known by the above name was organized at Prairie
Citv. in this county. Perhaps no better statement can be made, at this late
late, of this fair than that written in the XcTi'fon Jounml by its editor, who
was in attendance and wrote as follows:
'Tn company with about one hundred and fifty others from Xewton. we
were at Prairie City at the fair last Thursday. With good roads and fair
weather, the drive thither was one of the most pleasant that we know of.
\\'e found a large number of people on the grounds, not less than two thou-
sand at one time during the day. The number of entries was about five
hundred. There was an excellent showing of fine large horses, but few cat-
tle, one pen of sheep, and quite a fair showing of hogs. In Floral Hall were
to be seen some excellent specimens of flowers and the handiwork of ladies.
106 JASl'EK COL' N TV. U)\VA.
The trotting race in the afternoon was indeed exciting and closely contested,
being won by Tirapevine.' owned by D. C. Gifford. Governor Kellogg failed
to arrive, but the balloon went up about five o'clock. All day the weather
had been threatening, and at a little after five the rain came down in tor-
rents and continued until about midnight. The experience of many of our
people in getting home through the rain is laughable to relate, and all agree
that the visit to the Prairie City fair this year could not be set down as a dry
time."
Two hundred and fifty-eight premiums were awarded to exhibitors on
the al>ove occasion. After a time this association went down and now Xew-
ton has the only annual exhi1:)ition in the county.
PATRONS OF HUSBAXnRY.
This was an order that sprang into existence perforce of the very
needs of that time, and which was. not as has been supposed by some, a
failure in the broader sense of the word, for through it the legislative bodies,
both state and national, were induced to listen to the petitions of farmers
and laborers in general. Many of the present-day reforms have been made
possible by the work of what was termed the ''Grange.'' or Patrons of Hus-
bandr\\ movement. This movement was organized and in good working
form early in the seventies, but in Jasper county it had reached its greatest
strength in 1874. when there were about sixty well organized Granges in
operation. Its primary object was to make higher the standard of living
among the farming classes of America. When it was fairly known what its
true aim and object was, there were designing men. men who had been thus
far a failure in life's conflict, and who hoped to gain by Ixx-oming identified
with the new movement, who sought and in many cases were admitted to the
Granges. Xo sooner had the order been well founded than tliere was one
element who desired at once to do away with the "middle men" of this
countr\- and take upon themseUes the duties of running retail and whole-
sale stores, mills, creameries and farm implement factories and warehouses.
They also sought to enter the political arena and have a direct voice in legis-
lation, all of which was highly ])rnper. in a way. but as it was managed it
proved too much of a task for a new-born order to successfullv carrv out.
TTence instead of the real object, that of teaching farmers a better method of
<l()ing things, it really came to be a hot-bed for political wire-pullers and
office-seekers to feather their own nests, to the detriment of the masses of
the membership of the Grange. To this class r)f men must lie charged the
JASPER COUXTY, TOWA. lO/
final downfall of the great order of Patrons of Husbandry in this country,
including the numerous Granges in Jasper county. By 1878 the numl>er of
Granges in this county had decreased to about fifteen.
Among the many good results of the Jasper County Grange may be
mentioned the formation of a Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, in
1874. with E. N. Gates as president; J. \\\ Alfree. secretary; H. L. Moffatt,
treasurer, with directors from each to\\nsliip in this county.
Another feature of the Patrons of Husbandry here was the establish-
ment of the Jasper County Co-operative Association, formed also in 1874.
with its chief place of transacting its business at Newton. The first .stock-
holders were J. W. Murphy, J. W. Alfree, James Lee, H. L. Mofifatt and
Caleb Lamb. The paid-up capital was four thousand seven hundred dollars.
This was more fortunate than most of the "Grange stores" in the country,
in that it made some net profit each year during its existence.
An ele\ator was erected at ]\Ionroe, this county, in 1873 by the Patrons
in that locality, and it was owned and operated by them two years and more,
when the property was sold without loss to the stockholders.
In the earlv months of 1874. when word came from the distressed and
destitute settlers of northwestern Iowa, asking for help for the hundreds
who had lost heavily by reason of the grasshopper scourge, none gave more
lil)erally than memljers of the Granges in Jasper county. And again, when
the cry went up from drouth-stricken Kansas and Nebraska the year fol-
lowing, car load after car load of grain and clothing and provisions were
sent from here, as well as large sums of ready cash. Surely in the last day.
when the motives and virtues of all men's hearts shall be made manifest,
the names of the members of these Granges in Jasper county shall be re-
corded as ha\ing done what they could for their brother farmers in distress
and want.
•Times changed, more equal laws were made concerning freight rates,
warehouse privileges, etc.. and one by one the Granges dropped out of exist-
ence until the order, once so thriving, went down. But in its stead, came
many farmers' clubs and other associations by which the mutual efforts of
farmers have Ijeen the means of doing much good in both social and indus-
trial wax s. The farmer has at last learned that he has plenty to do to farm
after improved methods and the business man has learned a lesson taught
him bv the Granger movement, that it is l>est to not exact too great a profit
on the goods he seeks to sell to the toiling masses of agriculturists in this
country. !More and more, the American farmer is coming to be looked upon
as holding the balance of ix)wer in his hands. His present bank account is
io8 jasim:r couxtv, iowa.
causing even Wall street to "sit up and take notice," and in times of panics
he has only to keep a cool head and plow corn in Jasper county to be one of
earth's independent kings.
At this writing (1911) there are but a few Granges operating in this
county, which includes the one known as the old Buena Vista Grange, which
has always kept up its organization, This Grange was organized in August,
1872. bv the late -\ndrew Failor. at the home of J. W. Murphy, who was
its first worthy master. This Grange owns a good hall at Adamson's Grove,
well lighted and heated. Its table seats forty-two persons. Between seventy-
five and one hundred persons still belong to this order in Buena Vista town-
ship. Meetings are held each month and members are constantly being
added. This always was one of the strongest Granges in Jasper county. It
was here that was set on foot the present Farmers' Institute, as well as the
Farmers' Co-operative Mutual Telephone System.
CHAPTER IX.
RAILROADS AND EARLY TRANSPORTATION.
There is no internal improvement that has done so much to develop the
country as its railroads. The printing press, the railroad and the electric
telegraph wire, combined with the later telephone systems, certainly moved
the world as Archimedes little dreamed it could be moved. Up to within
about a half century, all new countries were required to be opened by the
hardv pioneers, and their agricultural and mineral resources well developed
before the capitalists would invest their money in building railroads. Now
railroads are first built and the people follow on by freight and passenger
train transportation. Jasper county was not so fortunate as to have been
provided wdth railroads in advance of its first settlement, but long, weari-
some years were endured before the stage coach and freighting wagons were
superseded by the iron horse speeding over the iron and steel rails of a
steam railway. But today the "Kingdom of Jasper" is crossed and recrossed
by a network of railways that afford ample transportation for all that comes
from the richness of the soil, and from its mineral deposits, as well as its
vast manufacturing industries, the raw and completed materials of which
come in and go out by rail in vast quantities.
FIRST RAILROAD PROJECT.
The county judge of this county in October, 1853, ordered an election
on the question of railroads, which reads as follows :
"Ordered, that there be an election held in Jasper county, Iowa, on
Monday, the 21st day of November, 1853, submitting the question whether
the countv of Jasper will aid in the construction of the Lyons Iowa Central
railroad by subscribing to the capital stock forty thousand dollars."
This election was ordered upon the petition of one-fourth of the legal
voters within the county. Bonds were to be issued, running twenty years,
and no monev was to be paid over until that amount of work had been per-
formed within Jasper county by said railroad company. The rate of in-
no JASPER COrXTY. IOWA.
terest to be paid on bonds thus issued was seven per cent, llie people were
to be taxed seven mills on a dollar each year for ten years and ten mills
each year for the remaining ten years.
This election resulted in a vote of one hundred eighty-nine for and one
hundred forty-nine votes against the proposition. The road was never
built, however, so it remains to be seen when Jasper county did really gain
her first railway line.
But before coming to that climax, the reader may be interested in
knowing of other attempts at railroad projects in the county. November 20,
1856. a petition was presented to the county judge, signed by more than the
required one- fourth of the voters of the county, asking that a proposition be
submitted at an election, authorizing the judge of the county to subscribe
two hundred thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Mississippi & Mis-
souri Railroad Company. The election was set for December 30. 1856.
The proposition was to carry with it twenty-year bonds, drawing ten per
cent, interest. The result at the election was decidedly against the measure,
the \ote standing seven hundred seven against and two hundred fourteen
for the subscription. Every township in the county went against it, save
Newton alone, and in the townships of Lynn Grove, Elk Creek, Fairview and
Clear Creek not a single vote was cast for the railroad company. It is said
that the farming communities outside went against this to get even with
Newton for not voting them licenses for selling liquor — they wanted much
in those early days for rattlesnake bites !
Another railroad proposition was defeated July 25, 1857, the vote
standing seven hundred twenty-eight for and eight hundred two against the
railroad. This was also for the proposed Mississippi & ]\Iissouri line, asking-
two hundred thousand dollars in lx)nds.
The next date for the railway proposition to come before the taxpayers
of Jasper county was March 4. 1858, when the county judge ordered an
election to decide whether the people wanted to vote aid to the Mississippi &
Missouri line in the amount of fifty thousand dollars. This election, held
April 5, 1858, was decided against the proposition by a vote of seven hun-
dred fifty for and eight hundred fifty-seven against.
IOWA LAND GRANTS.
The congressional act of May 15, 1856, granting lands for the purpose
of constructing railroads in this state, included the following trunk lines:
Burlington & Missouri River, 287,000 acres of land ; Mississippi & Missouri
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. Ill
River, 774.000 acres of land ; Cedar Rapids & Missouri River, 775,000 acres
of land: Dubuque & Sioux City railroad, 1,226,000 acres of land.
By this same act of Congress, the Mississippi & Missouri line was au-
thorized to transfer and assign all or any part of the grant to any other com-
pany or person, "if in the opinion of said company, the construction of said
railroad across the state of Iowa would be thereby sooner and more satisfac-
torily completed."'
But greater still was the "graft" of the act of Congress in August.
1846. which provided for the navigation of the Des Moines river, and in
payment for same undertaking the Des ]\Ioines River Navigation Companv
was to receive two hundred and se\"enty-one thousand acres of valuable land
on either side the stream, the same being each alternate section.
Then, in 1855. when it was seen that the navigation scheme would not
prove a success, they got Congress to juggle the case over, so that a railroad
company might be built and thus utilize the proceeds of the land grant. The
newly formed company was styled the Des Moines River Improvement &
Railroad Company. After more than thirty years of litigation, in the courts
of the country and in Congress, the case was finally settled by the commis-
sion appointed by Congress to adjust the matter. Many improvements had
been made on these lands by innocent purchasers and the company ejected
many of the families. This went on as far north on the river as the grant
extended, which was to Fort Dodge. \\'ebster county settlers were the
greatest sufferers. One steamboat went as far north as Fort Dodge, on the
high water of 1857, but no more was seen of steamboating on the river.
Several sections of this river land, as it was styled, was in Des Moines and
Fairview townships of Jasper county.
Having expended just enough money to partly complete locks and dams
along the stream, to control the lands granted by Congress, the company
became bankrupt (?) and transferred its title to the Keokuk. Des Moines &
Minnesota Railroad Company. This company, in about i860, commenced
the building of a railroad along the banks of the Des Moines. Three years
later the corporation was changed to the Des Moines Valley Railroad Com-
pany, and under that corporate name the road was finished to Fort Dodge.
This was the first railroad completed in Jasper county. The date was
late in 1863. The first freight, a car of lumber, was landed at Monroe
November 24, 1865. The next spring it reached Prairie City and in August,
that year, it reached Des ]\Ioines.
In 1873 the companv went into bankruptcy and was sold to others. The
line between Keokuk and Des Moines was afterwards known as the Keokuk
112 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
& Des Moines railroad. The last named corporation Ijecanie involved and
in 1878 it passed intt) the hands of the great Rock Island system. Including
its connection with the ri\er land project, for making the river a navigable
stream, this is the oldest railway corporation in Iowa.
THE CHICAGO. ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC.
This highway entered Iowa by reason of a lease from the old Missis-
sippi & ]\Iissouri railroad, already mentioned as having been given aid
through the great land grant of 1856, along with several other trunk lines
across the domain of Iowa. Yet, without these grants it might have been
manv years longer before the pioneer settler would have heard the neigh of
an iron horse.
Like all other early roads, this one made slow progress in getting
through to the Missouri river at Council Bluffs. In 1858 it had reached
Iowa Citv, where it stopped several years for lack of business and funds
with which to complete its lines. During the middle of the Civil war
period, about 1863, ^^ork was resumed, and "will reach Newton in ninety
days" was heard several years, and finally, in 1867, it did reach this point.
The oft-repeated defeats of the company at the hands of the people of Jas-
per county proved but the part of wisdom when later decisions of the
United States and state courts held that the bonds asked for in aid of such
an enterprise would have been null and void for lack of constitutionality.
In May, 1867, Newton had her first train service and the road was
pushed on to Des Moines in the same year.
Not long after this the old company went into the hands of a receiver,
in the person of that once well known, highly respected banker, B. F. Allen,
w^io in handling the large amounts entrusted to him invested in personal
enterprises, and in the end became a bankrupt himself, and many think
went down to his grave in dishonor. After this the road was operated and
finally owned by the Riock Island corporation, and is today one link in its
long and powerful system — a part of its main line. Another branch of this
railroad is what was formerly called the
NEWTON & MONROE RAILROAD.
For a short line route, this railroad has had a checkered career. It
was started by the coal mining interests found in the southern part of Jas-
per county, in 1863-4, when F. H. Griggs, of Davenport, invested in a large
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. II3
tract of this coal land, situated three or four miles to the south of Newton.
In 1 87 1 a local company was formed for the purpose of building down into
the mining district from Newton. It was called the Jasper County Coal and
Railroad Company, with Griggs as its president.
In 1 87 1 a company known as the Chicago, Newton & Southwestern
was organized, and the old coal road company contracted to build the same
for them. No bonus was asked for this road.
About the same date there was still another railroad enterprise formed
on paper, largely, that of the Iowa, Minnesota & Northern Pacific, having a
capital of twelve million dollars back of it. This line was projected as far
to the northwest as Webster City, Hamilton county, Iowa. As soon as the
last company began operations along the line, at Newton they disputed the
rights of the coal road to hold the right-of-way in and through Newton, and
then came an injunction suit in which the Iowa, Minnesota & Northern
Pacific were beaten.
During 1871 some work was executed along the new line to the great
northwest, and in Palo Alto, Newton and Fairview townships, Jasper county,
a tax was \oted to aid the construction of the new proposed highway. In
fact, the new corporation had but little means on which to operate and they
had to depend largely on the taxes they hoped to receive from farmers along
the line. Hence they gave time checks and due bills to the workmen who
performed service for them in construction. They, of course, believed that
when the taxes were paid as levied that they would receive their pay. Busi-
ness men took the paper at Newton and ]\Ionroe, and that by a slight dis-
count. But presently, the men who had not favored taxation refused to pay
taxes in and suits were filed to recover in cases where they had been paid
in. At that date more than twenty thousand dollars of paper was floating,
as given out for work done on the new road.
The Iowa, Minnesota & Northern Pacific Company then laid still until
1875. when Hornish, Davis & Company, contractors, transferred their con-
tract to the Iowa & Minnesota Construction Company, organized for the
purpose of getting the old company out of the financial trouble it had fallen
into. The old original stockholders of the coal company, of course, re-
ceived thirtv-five thousand dollars in bonds of the road. Under this con-
tract the grading was done and the track laid between Newton and Monroe,
in December, 1876. Thus ended the much-talked-of great northwestern
thoroughfare to the lake region of the upper ^lississippi river and the thun-
dering cataract of St. Anthony Falls (now ^linneapolis) — a road part way
through lasper county.
(8)'
114 TASI'KU COrXTV. IOWA.
In the spring of 1878. becoming in\ol\ed. the last named company was
reorganized and was styled the Newton & Monroe Company, with general
offices at Newton. Bnt later it was taken over by the Chicago, Rock Island
& Pacific Company and is by them operated today.
THE lOWA CENTRAL RAILROAD.
This system strikes Jasper county at a few ix)ints. Its main line, built
in the seventies, from Alarshalltown to Oskaloosa. goes through the city of
C.rinnell. and from the first station point to the north of Grinnell. called
Newburg, which place is situated in Jasper county, a branch of the Iowa
Central diverges to the northwest, to State Center. Newburg is within
Hickory Grove township.
Then this road has a branch, in Jasper county, running from Newton
southeast to Lvnnville. from which place it passes southeast and out of the
county, terminating at the main line, at New Sharon.
THE CHICAGO GREAT WESTERX RAILROAD.
This road was originally known as the Diagonal, then the Maple Leaf,
and now the ''Great Western" route, which runs to St. Paul, Chicago, Des
Moines, Council Bluffs and Kansas City. It passes through the northwest
part of Tasper county, with stations at Baxter, in Independence township;
Ira. in the same township: Mingo, in Poweshiek township, and also Valaria,
where it forms junction with the short road from Colfax, the Colfax North-
ern. The Great Western was completed early in the eighties through this
countv and is a valuable adjunct to transportation. It was built after the
days when people were asked to be taxed to build railroads in Iowa, hence
cost the people nothing, save here and there a bit of right of way, which \vas
more than paid for in the advantages had by the coming of so good a system
of railroad.
THE XEWTOX vS; NOK'l" 1 1 WEST?:RX UAH.KOAD.
This is the latest highway constructed in Jasper county, and so far has
not ])roved to be a success, financially. It was constructed and put in opera-
tion in 1905-6 and bid fair to become a good road. It runs through a rich
section of Iowa's fair domain with several flourishing station points en route,
but in a few years it was forced into the hands of a receiver, in the person
of Parley Sheldon, of Ames. It is at this writing in the hands of the United
States court, and unless matters can l)e adjusted or the ])ropertv sold to
another corporation, it will be ordered sold for the material on its roadway,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. II5
including the iron and bridges, etc., and depot buildings will be sold at
auction for the benefit of its creditors. But it is hoped, and believed, that
the property will remain intact and purchased by a company able to continue
its operation. Rumor says the Iowa Central and Rock Island both have
their eyes on it. And it is thought the Des Moines interurban electric line
may purchase and electrify a part of it.
The general offices of the company are at Boone, while some of the
stock is held in Boston. It extends from Xewton to Rockwell City, a dis-
tance of one hundred and six miles, with a branch line from Goddard to
Colfax of about four miles length.
In Jasper county it passes from Xewton through Mingo, in a north-
westerly direction. It has been suggested that it be electrified from Xewton
to Des Moines Junction, but this remains to be recorded by another histor-
ian, when the road has been finally disposed of.
RAILROAD MILEAGE OF COUNTY.
The mileage of railroads in Jasper county, in the spring of 191 1 is as
follows :
Miles.
Main line of Rock Island railroad 34-38
Monroe branch of Rock Island railroad 17.02
Old "Des Moines Valley" branch 17-52
Iowa Central (main line) 4.00
X'^ewton-Xew Sharon line 23.28
State Center branch 6.00
Colfax & Northern i3-oo
Newton & X^orthwestern -24.35
Chicago Great Western 31 -82
Interurban (from Colfax west) 5.06
Total mileage in county 1 76.43
CHAPTER X.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
Sidney Foster, of Des Moines, is credited with originating the follow-
ing phrase: "Of all things good, Iowa affords the best.'' And this sentiment
applies justly to the public school system of the state. The common schools
of our countiy are now looked upon as the safeguard of the republic. The
first settlers of Iowa territory showed their faith by their .works in planning
for a greater and better common school system than had hitherto been
known in any section of the countn-. Governor Robert Lucas, in his first
message to the first Legislative Assembly of Iowa territory, which con-
vened at Burlington November 12, 1838, said in reference to schools:
"The twelfth section of the act of Congress, establishing our territory,
declares that 'the citizens of Iowa shall enjoy all the rights, privileges and
immunities heretofore granted and secured to the territory of Wisconsin,
and its inhabitants.' This extends to us all the rights, privileges and im-
munities specified in the ordinance of Congress of the 13th of July, 1787.
■'The third article of this ordinance declares that 'religion, morality and
knowledge, being necessary to good government, and the happiness of man-
kind, schools and all the means of education shall be forever encouraged.'
"Congress, to carry out this declaration, has granted one section of land
in each township to the inhabitants of such township, for the purposes of
schools therein.
■'There is no subject to which I wish to call your attention more em-
phatically, than the subject of establishing at the commencement of our
political existence a well digested system of common schools."
This Assembly addressed itself early to the task of providing for a
system of common schools and enacting a law providing for the formation
of districts, the establishing of schools, and authorized the voters
of each district, when lawfully assembled, to levy and collect the necessary
taxes, "either in cash or good merchantable property, at cash price, upon the
inhabitants of their respective districts not exceeding one-half per centum,
nor amounting to more than ten d(jllars on any one person, to do all and
everylliing necessary to the establishment and support of schools within the
same."
CENTRAL SCHOOL BUILDING, NEWTON
WEST SCHOOL BUILDING. NEWTON
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 11/
The second Legislative Assembly enacted in January, 1840. a much
more comprehensive law to establish a common school system. But it was
a little in advance of the pulilic mind of the day. In the United States
census reports for 1840 there were few public or private schools reported.
One academy in Scott county with twenty-five students, and in the territory,
sixty-three primary and common schools, with one thousand f\\c hundred
scholars enrolled, is the report of that day.
The first section of the act of 1839, for the establishment of schools,
provided, that "there shall be established a common school, or schools, in
each of the counties of the territory, which shall be open and free for every
class of white citizens between the ages of five and twenty-one years.'' These
districts were governed by a board of three trustees, whose duties were to
examine teachers and employ the same, superintend the schools and collect
and disburse the taxes voted by the electors for school purposes.
When Iowa was admitted into the Union, in December, 1846, it had
a school population of twenty thousand, one-fifth of its entire population.
There were then four hundred school districts. By 1857, there had come to
be three thousand two hundred and sixty-five school districts.
From the earliest day, in Jasper county, education was considered first
in importance and well were laid the foundation stones for the present most
excellent public schools.
The first schools in the county were taught in a private way, in the
various settlements. These were what were termed ''subscription schools.''
Sometimes thev were taught in a rude log cabin, scarce fit for human habita-
tion. Stoves and other heating appliances, now so common, were then un-
known to this section of the countiy. A mud-and-stick chimney in one end
of the building, with an earthen hearth, with a fireplace wide enough and
deep enough to take in a four- foot length of wood for back-log and smaller
wood to match, served universally for the warming of these early school
houses. In summer time they served as a sort of conservatory. For win-
dows, part of a log was cut out in either side, and maybe a few panes of
eight-by-ten glass set in. or. in other instances, the opening would be covered
with thick greased paper, which allowed a small amount of the sun's light
into the rudely furnished school room. For writing benches wide planks
were rested on pins or arms driven into some two-inch auger holes bored into
the logs of the building, just beneath the windows. Seats were fashioned
out of thick planks or hewed puncheons. The floor was usually made of the
same material — sometimes only the soil of mother earth. Yet, from just
Il8 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
such school rooms have gone forth many of America's greatest statesmen.
In some other instances the "spare room" of some humble farm cabin home
was fitted up for school purposes. But even there the furniture was of the
same rude, home-made type, never having seen a saw or smoothing plane,
but all had the score line and imprint of the handy pioneer's hand-ax. All
this has materially changed. In Iowa, a log school house has come to be
looked upon as a rarity. In common with all the great commonwealth of
Iowa. Jasper county now boasts of excellent school houses and teachers fully
up-to-date in their manner of training the young. The county superintend-
ents and the city instructors in the graded schools rank as high as any in
Iowa.
EARLY SCHOOL HOUSES.
The first school house erected in Jasper county was built on the claim
made by David Edmundson, near the site of the present county farm. This
was built in 1848, of logs, and was about sixteen feet square. The floor,
doors and desks were all made from rough hewn puncheons. The windows
were glazed with greased paper. The chimney would be a startling curiosity
to any person, old or young, today. A huge log was laid inside and parallel
with the outside walls. On this the flue was constructed, sloping to the roof.
Thus the space usually left in cabins for a recess w as left open as a toasting
place for the little scholars. The flue-walls were covered with a thick mor-
tar of clay.
This school was taught by William C. Smith on the '"subscription" plan
and lasted three months. In the dreary winter of 1848-9 might have been
seen huddled together such boys as were later .prominent men in this county,
and known as Messrs. A. T. Prouty, W. ^1. Springer, Lewis Herring, John
Moss, Moses Lac}- and ! ). P^dniundson.
The first school house in the southern portion of the county was that
near Jasper Whitted's. at Tool's Point, which structure was completed in
the fall of 1848 also. This was a much superior building, in that it had a
chimney clear up from the earth to above the roof and it stood on the out-
side of the building. The windows also were provided with glass. These
window^ lights possibly came from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, via the Ohio and
Mississippi river, round by way of the Des Moines river to this county. This
school was taught by E. R. Wright and it was held in the w inter of 1848-49.
He had an attendance of about fifteen and some weeks as high as twentv
pupils.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I I9
SCHOOL FINANCES LONG AGO.
Jesse Rickman, the first county school fund commissioner, had but
little trouble in looking after the finances, as turned in to him, as will be
obser\-ed bv the following: Only six school districts had so far been or-
ganized by the fall of 1849-50. David Hinshaw, treasurer for district No. 2,
Newton township, receipted for $18.08; Ezekiel Shipley, of district No. 3,
same township, $20.60; Levi Plummer, for district No. i, Poweshiek town-
ship, $34.06: Joseph L. Doan, for district No. i, of Newton township.
$44.90; William Hayes, No. i. of Des ]\Ioines township, $48.77; Jacob
Pudge, No. I, of Fairview township, $51.63.
The school fund apportionment in March, 1851, was as follows: No. 2,
Fairview, $8.29; No. 2, Newton, $19.35; ^^o- i- Elk Creek, $12.27; No. 3,
Newton. $17.15; No. 4, N>wton, $23.34; No. i. Poweshiek, $18.25; No. i,
Lynn Grove, $42.61; No. i, Newton, $24.34: No. i, Fairview, $24.34; No.
I. Des ]Moines, $26.00: No. i. Clear Creek. S19.97: No. 2, Des ]\Ioines,
$13.27. Five districts were formed in 1851.
In 1854 four school districts were organized in Jasper county. That
year marks the beginning of better school days in the county, for its first for-
mative stages were then at an end — the log school house was then doomed
to be superseded by frame and brick structures, for the mighty tide of settle-
ment then set in had brought hundreds of settlers, some of whom had means,
and all had an idea that education was a good thing to have in opening up a
new country. By 1856 the rush of immigration was great and it brought
new life and the true spirit of education and general progress from the older
Eastern states. In August, 1854, the annual tax levy was : State, one and a
half mills; county, three mills and a poll tax of fifty cents; roads, two mills,
and a poll tax of one dollar and fifty cents : schools, three-fourths of a mill.
FIRST SCHOOLS IN SOME OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
For Newton township, see "'City Schools."
In Monroe, in Fairview township, the first regular school house of anv
consequence was erected in 1851.
The independent district of Jasper city (now Kellogg) was organized
May 25, 1868. with S. C. ]\Ionett as its president. June 8th of that year it
was voted to erect a school house by the issue of a ten-mill tax for bonding
purposes.
I20 JASl'KR COrXTV. IOWA.
The independent district of Lynnville was created in March, 1870. with
A. O. Ailver as its president, and Benjamin F. Arnold, treasurer. In Aui^ust,
1 87 1, the board ordered the old school house sold and appointed a committee
to confer with the I^>iends society of the town, with a view of selling the
property and then leasing of them if possible. At that date, the Friends had
a large building which had been used by them as an academy, but was then
not in use. The board finally made satisfactory terms and the old meeting-
house of the Friends was secured and served the district until in 1876. when
it was found too small for the increasing population. The Friends believed
in the school and recommended it to the surrounding settlement of Friends,
and in this wav large numbers from outside were sent to school in this dis-
trict, thus giving a nice town school re\enue. The land owned by the
Friends was not thought legal to build a public school house upon and hence,
after an injunction suit had been commenced, the matter was not protested
against, but the district went ahead and bonded for two thousand dollars to
build on grounds of their own purchasing. The building was twenty-eight
by forty feet and two stories high.
This is the base of the present school system at Lynnville, which from
an early date has been noted for good order and most excellent public
schools, as well as the old academy conducted by the Friends, first in the
near-by country and later in town, an account of which will appear elsewhere
in this chapter.
The independent district of Colfax was not formed until in April, 1876.
William Kelsey was the first president of the school board. During that year
the district \oted and bonded itself for the amount of three thousand five
hundred dollars with which to erect suitable school buildings. Its cost was
really over four thousand dollars. It was a two-story, forty-foot scjuare
building.
At Prairie City an indepen^lent district was voted into existence at the
March election of 1867. Caleb Bundy was chosen first director. In 1868 an
exceptionally good school house was erected at a cost of six thousand dollars.
The district in which Reasoner is located was formed in 1878 and
since then the schools of the village ha\e been on a par w ith most small town
schools in Jasper county.
With the passing of the years there were built school houses all over
the fair domain of Jasper county, wherever the settlement demanded it. and
this appears to have been in almost every nook and corner. The present
county superintendent's report to the state authorities, dated 1910. discloses
many facts relative to Jasper county schools, which should be carefully read
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 121
by all interested in the subject of education in this county. But before
entering into that subject, it will l3e best to note some things concerning the
city schools of Newton, for they have, indeed, made an almost enviable
record in the last quarter of a century among the cities of Iowa, and that
largely perforce of having the right men at the helm, both on the board of
education and as instructors.
NEWTON CITY SCHOOLS.
To have been educated at the Newton high school has been to be well
trained — fit for entering into a college or an active life of business, in what-
ever calling one might adopt. However, this excellent school did not come
by mere chance, but by long, hard struggles. It has had its foes within and
without, but at last came off conqueror and stands out prominent among the
foremost schools in any section of the Hawkeye state.
The early records show that Newton was within what was styled dis-
trict No. 3, of Newton township, from 1858 on to the spring of 1863, when
it was placed within an independent district. The records show the first
officers to be, in this independent district, J. B. Hough, president; Josiah
Wright, vice-president : William R. Skiff, treasurer : Jesse Rickman. secre-
tary ; Milton Anderson, director.
The first teachers employed were Baxter George, Airs. Margaret Carss.
Mrs. Emilv McCord and Rebecca Donnal.
The board resolved that ''the teachers and each and every one of the
larger scholars be required to sweep the school house by turns," and that
the teachers should have pay only for actual time employed.
May 25, 1864, the board contracted with Hugh Rogers for the erection
of two school houses, for one thousand four hundred and eighty -dollars,
twenty-five by thirty feet, one located in Edmundson's addition to Newton,
and also one in Pardoe's addition.
In the spring of 1865 a new roof was placed on the brick school house,
at the cost of five hundred dollars.
In the summer of 1867 the West End school house was built by Con-
nelly & Eastman, for seven hundred and eighty dollars, and the same season
a building was erected in the east part of town, by C. L. Connelly, costing the
district eight hundred and seventy-eight dollars.
August 10, 1868, a vote was taken on the question of issuing bonds for
the purpose of extending the school accommodations of Newton, which
election resulted in five majority against the proposition. On the 25th of
122 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
the same month, however, another vote was taken and resulted in favor of
the pending- proposition, the \ ote standing- one hundred forty-two to one
hundred one.
In March. 1870, a ten-mill tax was voted by the people for the con-
struction of buildings to be centrally located. In May, 1871, the old school
house site, north of the public square, was selected after a close contest.
The building (still in use) was erected in 1871. It is three stories high and
sixty by eighty feet in size. A high tower encloses the bell. The material
is Milwaukee brick. The five thousand dollars which it cost was raised by
floating bonds. The redemption fund commenced in 1872, with an eight
mill tax. In 1873 four thousand five hundred dollars was levied: in 1874,
1875 and 1876, ten mills each year was levied. In 1878 the building was
filled to its entire capacity and the patrons of the schools were again com-
mencing to wonder what would be the next school house plans for Newton.
In its day, this school house was among the best in Iowa, was well con-
structed and is still doing excellent service.
What is known as the West school, it being on ^^'>st ]vlain street, was
erected in 1897, at a cost of ten thousand dollars, including all connected
therewith. It is a two-story brick structure of modern architecture.
The next building required was the one in the northeast part of the
city, erected in 1901, at a cost of nine thousand eight hundred and seven-five
dollars, including furniture.
The pride of the city, however, is the high school building, erected in
1907, just west from Central school building. This beautiful large struc-
ture cost the district the sum of seventy-two thousand dollars, all furnished.
It is built on the most modern and approved plans for school buildings, even
to the items of sanitary drinking fountains.
THE SCHOOL GRADED.
In 1863 Albert Lufkin, Milton Anderson and Josiah Wright were ap-
pointed to grade the Newton schools. The following year there were four
teachers employed at salaries ranging from twenty-five dollars to forty dol-
lars per month. Darius Thomas was "principal teacher"' and he held the
position to 1864, the end of that school year. E. H. Fenton was employed
at twenty-five dollars per month and four other teachers were employed.
In 1865 W. H. Shaw was employed as "principal teacher"' at fifty dol-
lars per month. During all of these years of national struggle not a word
is to be seen in the records about the great Ci\il war, then in progress, yet no
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I23
one can doubt that Newton was filled with a true and loyal spirit of patriot-
ism, from the number of men she sent to the fighting front at the South.
In 1866 the teachers were L. B. Westbrook, Mary Hickey, Emily Fen-
ton, Cynthia Lindley, Lavinia Rickman and Lydia S. Clark. The salaries run
from forty dollars down to as low as twenty-five.
In 1867 the principal was J. A. Clippinger, who was paid sixty dollars
per month for his services. Admission to the highest department of the
schools was based on ability ''to advance beyond fractions." The man at
the head of the schools was not permitted to use his own judgment, but must
needs consultahe directors about any changes in school affairs.
From 1869 on, the record shows that nine months" school was counted
as a "school year." E. S. Everly was elected as principal, but. refusing to
teach for less than seventy-five dollars a month, the board re-elected Mr.
Clippinger and he was assisted by five other instructors.
In 1868 among the teachers mentioned in the records was 'Sir. Martin.
who received the largest salary.
In 1870 nine teachers were employed. G. M. Doud receiving sixty dol-
lars per month. W. G. Work remained superintendent.
In 1 87 1 O. M. Schee was superintendent, at one hundred dollars per
month, an innovation in wages. \\\ W. Wallace was hired to teach music
at fifty dollars per month. Nine other instructors were engaged at that
time.
In 1872 Albert Loughridge was superintendent at a salary of one
thousand dollars per year. He had ten assistants.
In 1873 and on to 1876, William Hog was the superintendent. In
November, 1874, a new course of study was adopted and the first class
graduated in ]\Iarch, 1875, and was as follows : Emerson Hough, Bertha
Fehleisen and George Fehleisen.
From 1880 to 1883 R. G. Young was employed. In this connection it
should be said that in 1882 a high school course was first adopted that met
with the general approval of educators in this section of Iowa, generally, and
was looked upon as advanced ground in the matter of better educational
facilities. Again in 1887 another change was effected in grading the high
school of Newton.
Prof. E. J. H. Beard, the present capable instructor, was employed at
Newton in 1892, as the superintendent of the public schools. Since then three
school houses have been erected. When he commenced his work here he
had fourteen assistants and now the work has advanced to that degree that
more than twenty are required to do the work of instruction. Within the
124 JASPER COUXTV, IOWA.
past ten years the colleges of the land have increased their requirements, by
the addition of several branches, but the fact that up to 1903 no pupil had
graduated who was not prepared to enter the freshman classes of accredited
colleges speaks much for the work of the Xewton school.
Seventeen classes, numbering in all one hundred and eighty-six pupils,
graduated during the employment of other superintendents, while under
Professor Beard's administration nineteen classes ha\e graduated, and these
have a total of four hundred and twenty-eight pupils.
In February, 1910. Professor Beard, superintendent of the city schools,
said:
■'It is frequently Siiid that the studies of the high school courses lead
boys to choose professional careers and do not promote the choice of pro-
ductive industries or ordinary business pursuits. In the past seventeen years
one hundred and thirty-five lx)ys have graduated from the Newton high
school. So far as I am- able to ascertain the following occupations and the
number of students in each is here indicated:
Lawyers or students of law 4
Proprietors or partners in mercantile business 7
Clerks in various establishments 8
Farmers 18, students of agriculture so far as known 7. . . . 25
In banks 4
Grain dealer i
Railroading i
Architects 3
Agents for manufacturing and mercantile houses 6
Flectrical engineers or student of electrical engineering. .8
Civil engineers or students of civil engineering 7
Professors of colleges 4
Veterinary students 3
Real estate dealer i
Justice of the peace i
Editor or printer 2
Evangelist r
Dentists 4
Dead c
Lumberman i
Doctors or medical students 3
Professor of music i
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 12:
In factories as proprietor or workmen 15 *
In college, courses not known 14
Students concerning- whom I have no data 4
135
"It will be seen from the foregoing that the frequently repeated asser-
tion that the modern high school courses prepare students for the so-called
'learned professions' only, is not true and has not been true so far as the
Newton high school history for the past seventeen years goes."
JASPER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 187O-76.
From Superintendent S. J. Moyer's report in 1870, we extract the fol-
lowing: "The state of Iowa boasts of her neat school houses, that dot her
l)eautiful prairies, and Jasper county has a respectable share of these to
claim as her own. \\ithin the past two years it has been the desire of all
unimproved to accommodate themselves with accessible and convenient
school houses, and by an examination of the tax abstract for the coming
year we are assured the desire increases and ripens into execution as Jasper
county enters upon the new year with an increased school house tax. The
statistics show that during the last year (1869-70) there have been erected
twenty-eight new school houses."
The official reports for 1877 show that the county then contained 17
district townships: 28 independent districts: 145 sub-districts: ungraded
schools, 165; graded schools, 8; school year, seven months and one week,
average: number of male teachers, 123: number of female teachers, 244;
average male wages. $35.95; female. $29.64; total enrollment. 8,198: aver-
age attendance. 4,598: average cost of tuition, per scholar, $1.61; number
of frame school houses. 170; brick school houses. 4; log school houses,
none. The value of all school houses in the county, at that date, was
$170,405. Cash on hand in school house fund. S6.380: contingent fund,
$6,541 ; teacher's fund, $20,446.
A MODEL SCHOOL HOUSE.
Be it said to the credit of the patrons of the Monroe public schools
that in 1870 the following was truthfully recorded by the county superin-
tendent of schools of this countv :
12(1 lASl'KK fOUNTV. IOWA.
^'Those who contemplate building for graded schools and independent
districts are respectfully invited to examine the new and beautiful school
building lately erected in Monroe, which is far superior to any other in the
countv in its design and structure and reflects much credit upon the city, the
citizens and board that controlled its erection, and upon the community
around."
JASPER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN IQIO.
According to the official report made by the school superintendent in
1910. the following was the statistical condition of the public schools in this
county :
SCHOOL TOWNSHIPS.
Buena \^ista township, number of pupils enrolled, 246; male teachers,
one; female teachers, thirteen: number of sub-districts, nine.
Des :\Ioines township, number enrolled. 180; male teachers, two; fe-
male teachers, sixteen: number of sul)-districts. eleven.
Hickory Grove township, number enrolled. 119; male teachers, one;
female teachers, thirteen; number sub-districts, nine.
Independence township, pupils enrolled. 185; male teachers, one; fe-
male teachers, twelve; number of sub-districts, nine.
Kellogg township, pupils enrolled, 154; male teachers, one; female
teachers, fifteen; number of sub-districts, eight.
Lynn Grove township, pupils enrolled, 207; female teachers, twenty-
two; number sub-districts, twelve.
Malaka township, pupils enrolled, 140; female teachers, fifteen; num-
ber of sub-districts, nine.
Mariposa township, pupils enrolled, 172; female teachers, seventeen;
number of sub-districts, nine.
Mound Prairie township, pupils enrolled. 249; male teachers, two; fe-
male teachers, fourteen ; number of sub-districts, nine.
Xewton township, pupils enrolled, 136; female teachers, ten; number
of sub-districts, nine.
Palo Alto township, pupils enrolled. 209: female teachers, fifteen; num-
ber of sub-districts, eleven.
Poweshiek township, pupils enrolled, 244: female teachers, eighteen;
number of sub-districts, eight.
Richland township, pupils enrolled, 188; male teachers, one; female
teachers, sixteen ; number of sub-districts, nine.
JASPER COUNT V, IOWA. 12/
Rock Creek township, pupils enrolled, 204; male teachers, five; female
teachers, fourteen; number of sub-districts, eight.
Sherman tOAvnship, pupils enrolled, 117: female teachers, fourteen;
number sub-districts, nine.
Washington township, pupils enrolled, 131; female teachers, eleven;
number sub-districts, nine.
INDEPENDENT VILLAGE, TOWN AND CITY CORPORATIONS.
Baxter had five rooms of graded school : one male and fourteen female
.teachers; enrollment of 140.
Colfax had fourteen rooms of graded school; one male and fourteen
female teachers, with an enrollment of 706.
Galesburg had two rooms graded; one male and three female teachers,
and an enrollment of 49 pupils.
Greencastle had two graded rooms; two female teachers, and an en-
rollment of 59 pupils.
Kellogg had five graded rooms; one male and four female teachers,
with an enrollment of 156 pupils.
]^Ionroe had seven graded rooms ; one male and four female teachers,
with an enrollment of 226 pupils.
Xewton had twenty-eight graded rooms ; two male and twentv-six fe-
male teachers, with an enrollment of 1,056 pupils.
Prairie City had six graded rooms : one male and seven female teachers.
\\ith an enrollment of 233 pupils.
Reasoner had two graded rooms, two female teachers and an enroll-
ment of thirty-five pupils. "•-
Sully had two graded rooms; one male and one female teacher, with an
enrollment of 98 pupils.
Vandalia had two rural schools ; three female teachers, and an enroll-
ment of 49 pupils.
RURAL INDEPENDENT CORPORATIONS.
No. I, one male and two female teachers, with an enrollment of 36.
No. 2, Harsh, two female teachers, and 44 enrollment.
Xo. 3. two female teachers and an enrollment of 19 pupils.
N^o. 4. one female teacher and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
Xo. 5. Ashton. three female teachers; 21 pupils enrolled.
128 JASI'ER COUNTV. IOWA.
No. 6. Oak Gro\e, three female teachers, and an enroHment of 21
pupils.
No. 7, X'alley. one female teacher, and an enrollment of 26 pupils.
No. 8. Indian Creek, three female teachers ; 23 pupils enrolled.
No. 9, Green Valley, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 28 pupils.
Andreas, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
Brown, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 18 pupils.
Dairy Grove, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 17 pupils.
McKiiiney. one female teacher and eighteen pupils enrolled.
Pleasant View, two females as teachers, and an enrollment of 13 pupils
Richland, one male and two female teachers; number pupils enrolled. 14.
Rose Hill, one female teacher; numljer pupils enrolled, 26.
Sand Point, one female teacher; 18 pupils enrolled.
Bellevue. two female teachers; 20 pupils enrolled.
Capitol Prairie, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
Cottage Grove, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 35 pupils.
Enterprise, one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
Excelsior, one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
Fair View, one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
McCosky, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 16 pupils.
Oak Grove, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 28 pupils.
Pleasant Hill had no school in 19 10.
Sunny Point, one female teacher, and 17 pupils enrolled.
Union, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 26 pupils.
Warren Grove, two female teachers, and 17 pupils enrolled.
The average tuition cost of pupils per month in 1910 was «*'>2.55.
OTHER FIGURES.
As seen by the county school sujjerintendent's report to the state, bear-
ing the date of June 30, 1910, llie following was the standing of schools
in the county at that time :
Average number of months taught, 81/, ; rural independent districts,
29; independent city, town and village incorporations in the countv. 11;
school townships, 16; sub-districts. 147; teachers employed — males, 28; fe-
males, 348; average compensation per month, for m<'ile teachers, $69.13;
for females, $43.60; total enrollment in the county, 6,411; total average
attendance, 4.490; average tuition per month, $2.55; number of school
houses. 191; value of school houses, $336,740; value of all apparatus,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 29
$11,105; number of volumes in all school libraries, 9,230; rooms in which
the effects of stimulants and narcotics are taught, 244.
On June 30. 1910. there was on hand in the school fund of Jasper
county, the sum of $61,829. The school-house fund had on hand at the
date just named, $8,845. O" the same date there were bonds and interest-
bearing warrants outstanding in the county, $53,181.
teachers" institutes.
Hardin county had the first teachers' institute in Iowa, under the law
which was created in the winter of 1857-8. Jasper was not far behind,
for the record shows that on November i, 1858, an institute was commenced
at Newton, lasting for six days. Reduced hotel rates were arranged for at
the Phelps House, City Hotel and old Ohio House. Teachers were expected
to bring with them a AIcGuffey's fourth reader, a geography and atlas, an
arithmetic and grammar.
The second institute was held in September, 1859. ^^^ organized by
Albert Lufkin, president; A. W. Drew, vice-president; A. L. Swallow',
secretary. This session continued for two full weeks and numerous lectures
were given, including those delivered by Messrs. Shays, Rev. Joshua Swal-
low. Rev. T. Merrill, J. R. Mershon, S. F. Cooper, S. N. Lindley and W.
D. Moore.
This was the beginning of institutes that have been kept up e\er since,
with much interest and educational profit. The institute has come to be
an occasion which all reputable teachers long for. and the teacher is now
compelled to attend at least a part of the session each year. It is one of
the needed auxiliaries to teaching and no up-to-date teacher cares to miss
the annual session.
wittemberg manual labor college.
By Hon. W. O. McElroy.
Advancement in civilization is largely due to the triumph of principles
for which men and women, living in advance of their times, contended for
years without apparent success. To such persons, the writer of contempo-
raneous history is not always just. He who writes regarding his own times
may accurately record current events, but a later generation can. l^etter
than he. understand and appreciate their historical value. It is the dutv of
the historian not onlv to present the facts, but to mark their significance,
(9)
130 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
iiulgint;- men and measures impartially and gi\in,i;- credit to whomsoever
it may Ix' due. The reason for tlie fnre.y;oing remark will appear as we
proceed.
Tn the early fifties a dozen or more families settled upon the prairie
north of Xewton, formini^ what was afterwards known as the ''College
I'arm" neighljorhood. Their number inckuled some exceptionally thoughtful
and earnest men and women. On the i8th day of December, 1855, some
of the more prominent ones assembled at the home of John Carey and there
adopted articles of incorporation of the W'ittemberg Manual Labor College.
At that time negro slavery was strongly intrenched in the United States
under constitutional protection : women were generally barred from college
and universit) , from taking part in public affairs, rarely being permitted
e\en "to sj^eak in church," and were not generally accepted as teachers in
public schools; technical education of the industrial classes, schools of agri-
culture and mechanical arts, and public instruction in manual training and
domestic science, were practically unknown : and the general trend of all
education was away from manual labor and e\erything pertaining thereto.
It is interesting- to notice, in the light of conditions then existing, the dis-
tinctive principles of the institution thus founded and the spirit of its
founders, as indicated in its articles of incorporation, four of which were
as follows :
"Article 3d. We will endeavor to maintain a school in which a pure
morality and evangelical religion shall be taught, guarding against the in-
troduction of both sectarian teaching and sectional influence.
"Art. 4th. As the name of the corporation implies, labor shall be
combined with study, invariably, in such manner as the trustees may direct,
so that not less than two hours of manual labor each day be required of
every teacher and student, unless prevented by sickness or other bodily in-
firmity.
"Art. 6th. Xo person of good moral character who is not a slave-
holder in practice or principle, shall be denied the privilege of being a
shareholder in this institution. None shall be rendered ineligible to office
or refused admittance as a student on terms of ])erfect equalitv, on account
of caste, color or sex.
"Art. 1 2th. The trustees shall be chosen by ballot at each annual meet-
ing * * * a|. ^vhich time this constitution may be amended * * * ex-
cept so much of the second, third and fourth articles as embrace the dis-
tinctive principles of our organization, to-wit : Pure morality and religion,
without sectarianism; manual labor; freedom from distinction on account
of caste, color or sex ; these features shall remain unalterable."
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I3I
The first officers of the institution were: Richard Sherer. president;
John Carey and John A. Work, vice-presidents; Andrew Failor, secretary;
James R. Crawford, treasurer; Rev. Thomas Merrill, general agent; all of
whom, with Mrs. Elizabeth Merrill, Mrs. ]\Iary Carey, James McLaughlin,
S. A. Thornton, J. P. Beatty and Thomas \'anatta, constituted the board of
trustees. A tract of land including the east halt of section 3. township 80,
range 19, and adjacent lands, comprising more than four hundred acres
in all. was purchased and sul)sec|uently platted. Ten acres in the center was
reserved for college building, ornamental grounds, etc. Four rectangular
tracts, each comprising about sixty acres, were reser\-ed for the purpose of pro-
viding thereon the manual labor in agriculture to be performed by students
and members of the faculty. Outlying parts of the land platted were di-
vided into residence lots which were afterwards appraised and sold in order
to obtain funds for the erection of a building.
The records of the board of trustees throughout the sixteen or more
years of the existence of the institution lie before us as we write. Insuf-
ficient support funds, general low prices and low wages, high rates of in-
terest, financial panic, and the disorganizing influence of the Civil war, made
the struggle for the maintenance of the school throughout those years very
hard. Every meeting of the board was opened with prayer.
On Christmas day, 1855, the board fixed the rates of tuition for a term
of twelve weeks, as follows : Three dollars for primary department, four
dollars for common English branches and five dollars for the advanced
English branches and the languages. At the same time ^fr. and ]Mrs. Merrill
were employed as teachers.
In Februarv", 1856, the property owned by the institution was valued
at $6,781.75. One thousand copies of a circular setting forth the advantages
offered by the school and its course of study were ordered printed and dis-
tributed. Provisions were made for boarding students. Scholarships were
ordered sold, the consideration therefor to be paid in installments. The
board adopted a plan for a two-story central building fifty-two feet long
and forty feet wide, with end or wing buildings, each thirty feet by forty
feet. The building committee was authorized to borrow five thousand
dollars for the erection of the building. Those were times of low prices
and exorbitantly high rates of interest, and the committee subsequently re-
l)orted that it could borrow only one thousand dollars.
In November. 1856, the board purchased eight acres of timljer from
Jesse Hammer, pacing thirty-three dollars per acre therefor, to provide
lumber for the building. The plan of the building was subsequently altered
132 JASPER COUXTV, IOWA.
considerably, the wing: biiildinji-s beino- omitted. The building- finally erected
was a large two-story frame building constructed principally of native wood,
finished inside with black walnut, the weather-boarding also being of walnut.
The floors were oak. The foundation was stone. Its exact cost can not now
be ascertained, but it was probably between six thousand and ten thousand
dollars. Prior to its occupancy for educational purposes, the school occu-
pied temporary buildings, one of which was, on and after December 7, 1857,
rented to the board of directors of the school district for school purposes,
at the rental of two dollars and fifty cents per month. The building was
afterwards sold to the district.
On Xovember 24, 1856, a death having occurred in the neighborhood,,
a burial ground was located upon the lands of the college by a committee
of the board of trustees "in view of locating the present grave," and the
board adopted a resolution that the grounds be free to all as a place of
burial. The burial thus located is within the present Wittemberg cemetery,
comprising two acres. On October 20, 1858, the board of trustees adopted a
resolution for the transfer of the burying ground to the trustees of the Free
Presbyterian church of ^^'ittemberg.
The financial panic of 1857 bore very heavily upon the corporation.
The school continued without interruption, but very little progress was
made upon the building. On March 4, 1857, the board adopted the follow-
ing resolution :
"Resolved, ist. That we recognize in our present embarrassed condition
as a board and the causes which have led to it. the plain teachings of di-
vine providence.
"Resolved, 2d. That both duty and interest demand that we should
go forward in the erection of the college building now under contract.
"Resolved, 3d. That in order to the accomplishment of this- end, we
feel that God is now demanding of us the contribution of such a portion of
his property now in our hands as will put this enterprise beyond embarrass-
ment."
On September 22, 1857, a public dinner was held at the college, the meat
for which cost the institution nine dollars. During the same month, the
board arranged with Mr. and Mrs. Merrill to publish The W'ittcuiherg Edu-
cator, a monthly journal devoted to the cause of education and the interest
of the college in particular, the board furnishing the press, tvpe and room,
and Mr. and Mrs. Merrill receiving the proceeds of the publication. Sarah
Merrill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Merrill and afterwards wife of Rev.
Charles C. TTarrab. did the greater part of the work upon the paper. Tt
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I33
was subsequently puljlished semi-monthly under the name of Tlic IVittem^
berg ReTiciv. How long the publication continued, does not clearly appear.
However, the minutes of the board show that on December 14. 1858, it
adopted a resolution making its subse(|uent meetings private and directed
the publication of the resolution in The Ji'iffemberrj Rez'iezv. On June 6,
1859, 'i^ order was made by the board giving Mr. Merrill the use of the
printing press and twenty dollars worth of type for one year. In November,
1859, the board refunded to !Mr. Merrill the money spent by him in issuing
the first numbers of The JVitt ember g Reviezc.
On January 20, i860, the board voted to arrange to open the college
school on the first Wednesday of the following May, the tuition alone being
the salary of the teachers. At the same meeting Rev. Thomas ]\Ierrill
was elected president of the college. J. R. Crawford, G. T. Poage and
Thomas Merrill were appointed a committee to prepare a course of study,
and ^Ir. Merrill A\as authorized to publish a circular setting forth the ad-
vantages of the school. However, a part of the building was yet unfinished.
On June 22, 1861, the board submitted to the Free Presbyterian church of
\\'ittemberg a proposition to grant to said church the use of the north lower
room of the college building for five years for church purposes, provided the
church would furnish the materials and pro\ ide the labor necessarv for
the completion of the room in the manner specified in the proposition. The
proposition was accepted and the room was used for the purposes designated
throughout the full term specified.
On December 15, 1862, the board of trustees invited the Wesleyan
Methodist general conference to co-operate in sustaining the college. Ten
days later a committee from the conference called upon the board. The
conference declined to consider the proposition unless the joint stock sys-
tem should be abandoned and the institution governed entirely by a close
board. All negotiations were dropped. During the next four years, in
spite of adverse conditions and influences, the school prospered, the attend-
ance varying from forty to ninetv pupils. Tn November, 1866, a committee
was appointed to consider and report upon the advisability of transferring
all the property of the institution to a responsible person who would agree to
maintain the school. Nothing was accomplished in that direction, how-
e\er, until ^May, 1867, when a contract was made with Rev. S. A. McLean,
of Washington county. Pennsylvania, by the terms of which he advanced
to the board the sum of two thousand dollars in cash, and agreed to con-
duct in the college building for four years a school furnishing instruction
in all branches taught in first-class academies, the board agreeing to furnish
1 ^4 JASPER COL'XTV, lOW A.
the building in manner specified in the contract, and, at the end of the four
years, to pay to McLean the aggregate sum of four thousand and fifteen
dollars, the college property to be security for such payment.
From the earliest settlement of the neighborhood until the close of
the Civil war, the Free I'resbyterian church maintained a strong organiza-
tion at Wittemberg. However, \\hen sla^•ery had ceased to exist and the
war was closed and the feeling engendered thereby began to disappear, the
organization dissolved, one element returning to the Presbyterian church
and the other forming the Congregational church of Wittemberg. To the
church last named, the board of trustees of the college conveyed a building
site about December i, 1867. The Presbyterian church continued to occupy
the college chapel until about 1869.
On May i, 1868, a committee of the board made written report recom-
mending the execution of a new agreement with S. A. McLean, by the
terms of which the greater i)art of the college property was to be trans-
ferred to ^IcLean, he to cancel all claims under the prior agreement and to
assume certain debts and to maintain a school in the college building for
ten years from and after January 1, 1868, and, at the expiration of the ten
years, to be the absolute owner of the property. Other terms and condi-
tions were included in the contract. A resolution authorizing the execution
of the agreement was adopted by a divided vote of the trustees. The agree-
ment was executed. Mr. McLean died in the early part of 1869. His
daughters, Elizabeth and Anna, conducted the school some years after his
death. In the meantime, in an action instituted by a trustee who opposed
the execution of the last agreement with Mr. McLean, the district court of
Jasper county held the conveyance of the property void and gave Mr. Mc-
Lean's representatixes a lien thereon. 'i"he lien was foreclosed, but re-
dempti(jn from the sale was not made and tlie title to all the property passed
to AJr. McLean's heirs.
Another writer remarked about tin's educational institution that "to
complete the building and to pay the (lel)ts, Messrs. Merrill, Cary and
Crawford pledged one thousand dollars each; Mr. King fi\e hundred dol-
lars; Mr. Failor, two hundred and fifty dollars; Mr. Beatty, one hundred
dollars. The money was raised l)y mortgaging the lands of those named
above to parties in the E^st. and much anxiety was experienced by all of
them in raising the money afterward to clear the mortgages.
"This closed the history of the school, which might, otherwise, have
enjoyed a wide reputation. Howex'er, much good was done iiere, for many
young men found facilities for education here that tliev might ha\'e failed
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I35
of, and a num1)er of gentlemen now i)rominent in business affairs and
other pursuits owe their education to Wittemburg. The school was quite
successful from 1857 to 1865. the usual enrollment of pupils being from
fifty to eighty."
It may also be added that, socially, this institution accomplished much
good for the early settlers of Jasper county. It also had what were then
very new and advanced notions concerning diet. For instance thev ( the
founders) did not eat much meat, but taught that a pure vegetable diet was
the proper thing. They used large quantities of graham flour in their cook-
ing. They had other notions which would not ])e popular today with the
masses, but on the whole those college founders were men and women of
large hearts, active brains and great fortitude and integrity of purpose.
They certainly left their imprint on the community in which they settled
and finally founded ^^'ittemberg College.
LYNNVILLE ACADEMY.
Mainl\- through subscrii)ti()ns raised among the Friends' society, this
institution of learning was founded at Lynnville in 1866. It was continued
a number of years, but owing to lack of boarding places the school waned
and finally in the course of a few terms closed its doors. In 1871 arrange-
ments were perfected with the public school district by which the building
thev had erected just outside of town aways was moved to the village and
rented to the district. In 1875 the b>iends again took possession of the
property, and in the fall of that year an academic course was opened up,
with an attendance of about eighty-five students, which number, at the end
of the fifth week, had increased to one hundred and thirty. Prof. W. W.
Gregg and N. Rosenberger were the teachers at the beginning, and such
was the rush of students that the services of Miss Cynthia Macy and Miss
Gregg became necessary. After about one year of such prosperity. Professor
Gregg left the school. Another principal, from Indiana, taught a while
and then the school ceased to be.
The building was a frame structure, two stories high, well adapted for
school work. Later the building became a part of the Friends' church.
IIAZEI. DELF. ACADEAJV AND ITS FOIXDKK. t'KOF. DAkllS IlIOMAS.
By J. H. Fugard.
This institution was located at Xewton, and occupies an imi)ortant
place in the educational history of Jasper county. It was a private school
founded bv Prof. Darius Thomas, A. M., in 1856, and was owned and con-
] :>(. JASPKK COUNTY, IOWA.
ducted by him for nearly a third of a century. He then disposed of it to
Prof. G. \\'. Wormley. a former pupil, who removed it to a new location,
and changed it into the Xewton Xornial College.
At first the primary as well as the higher branches were taught. But
as the public school system became more fully de\eloped, the primary branches
w ere dropped, and the academy liecame an intermediate step between the com-
mon school and the college. At that time many colleges had a two-year prepara-
tory course for such students as were not prepared for the regular college
studies. And it is to the credit of Hazel Dell that some of its students were
able to pass the required examination and enter the freshman year. And
this, too, not onlv in Western colleges, but also in some of the older ones,
such as Dartmouth, Harvard and Pennsyhania. At that time commercial
colleges and normal schools were but few in number, and none nearby. But
this want was here met by courses of study designed to fit young people for
business or for teaching. :^Iany received their training here, and
several hundred school teachers were fitted for their work. More
than fifteen hundred students attended the school during Professor
Thomas' administration. .And. as a large numl)er of them afterwards taught
in this countv, it can safely 1)e said that, directly and indirectly, several
tliousand of our young people received its benefits.
I once heard the veteran educator. C. D. Hipsley. say that in his ex-
])erience. as a teacher and principal of the Newton schools and as county
su])erintendent. he had found that the teachers who came from this school
were more uniformly successful than those from any other institution.
The school existed at a time when educational advantages were limited
in central Iowa, when times were strenuous and money scarce. And its
founder made it possible for many young people to prepare for college, or
fit themsehes for life's work, who would otherwise have lacked the op|X)r-
tunitv and the stimulus. A glance at our early history will make this more
apparent.
.\ large proportion of the pioneers were per.sons of intelligence and
character. They were desirous that their children should have the privileges
whicli they had enjoyed in their former homes. But they were handicapped
b\- lack r)f means. Money was scarce everywhere, and especially in the
\\'^est. where people had little to sell, and lacked manV of the comforts of
life. Some of their efi^orts to secure better things were A-ery feeble, but
were steps in the right direction. .\nd we ought not to despise the (Ia\ of
small things. For to these efforts we are largely indebted f(^r the ])resent
more ideal conditions, which are represented by the church and the school
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 37
house on the hill and no saloon in the valley. An incident of early davs will
illustrate this thought. I once read the minutes of a school meeting that
was held in 1854 at the home of Doctor Turck. where John Welle now lives
in Buena Vista township. James Wright was secretary and the minutes
were quite full and complete. The settlers had gathered to consider the
question of having a school in their midst. And it was decided to have one,
and to make application for money to hire a teacher. Xo public funds seem
to ha\e been available for .school-house purposes, and so thev arranged to
build one themselves, each man contributing a portion of the material. It
was of rough logs with a clapboard roof, and stood just ea.st of what is
now the Mt. Zion cemetery. The needless luxury of a floor was dispensed
\\ith for the first year or two.
And this school house, rude as it seems, was quite an acquisition to the
community, and was used for several years, not only for school purposes,
but also for preaching services and festive gatherings. And the religious
work begun there by a faithful band of Christians, has been carried steadily
and successfully forward, and is now the prosperous ^It. Zion ^Methodist
church.
The door of the old school house had wooden hinges and a wooden latch.
And the seats were rough slabs with the bark side down, and with long
wooden pegs for legs.
Ah, those blessed old slab benches! ^My back aches even now as T re-
call how hard it was for the little folk to balance themselves on them all
day long, with nothing to lean against, and not able to reach the floor with
our feet. And I remember how I envied the larger scholars who could sit
on the bench that was next to the wall.
And yet it was while seated there that some of us learned how to spell
"l)aker" and '"shady" and the other hard words of two syllables that came
after them in Webster's Elementary Spelling Book. On the cover of the
book was an emblematic picture of the Temple of Fame, on the top of the
Hill of Knowledge. But the sirles of the hill were so steep that no little
bov would think of ever trying to reach its summit ; unless, perchance, like
Darius Green, he could hope to invent .some kind of a flying machine.
But poor as were the school house facilities of those days, a greater
educational want was the need of properly trained teachers. At the one
just mentioned no school was held the first winter fbr lack of a teacher.
And some of the men who taught in the schools during those years were
nearbv farmers, who were more noted for their muscle than for their wis-
dom. And the fact that thev were able to control the larger bovs mav ha\e
138 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
had something to do with their selection. In the towns the conditions were
not much better.
The schools were held in small and over-crowded buildings, and only
the rudimentary branches were taught.
Such was the state of affairs when Mr. Thomas, a quiet, unassuming
man. came here from the state of Maryland and entered on his life's work,
for which he was well fitted, both by nature and by training. He was a
graduate of Jefferson College, Pennsyhania. now known as Washington and
Jefferson College. Newton was then only a little hamlet, situated on the
edge of a wide prairie that rolled away to the eastward like a boundless
sea. To the west and north was an almost unbroken forest, miles in extent
and coming to within a block or two of the business part of town.
He selected some lots three blocks north of the square where Will
Jasper now lives, and with his own hands erected a neat school house there-
on, and hewed a road to it through the dense thickets from which it took
its name. It was afterwards enlarged several times, until it was made to
accommodate a hundred or more pupils, many of whom roomed in the
building.
Ha\-ing learned in his }ounger days the now lost art of cabinet mak-
ing, he was able to make his own furniture ; and it was of a kind that did
not fall to pieces with the first season's use.
And here he (juietly carried on his work for many years, brightening
and sweetening the li\es of others. There was no pomp or attempt at dis-
play. X'o students were solicited, and no public aid was ever asked for or
received. These things seem odd to us. for we have come to believe that
great endowments and costly buildings are a necessary part of brain culture.
And we can hardl\- rid our minds of the idea that success onl\- comes to him
who most loudly toots his own horn. We forget that modesty is occasionalh-
rewarded, and that the public sometimes discovers and appreciates real merit.
The school was well patronized by the town. l)ut the most of the stu-
dents came from the country. The sturdy l30\s and bonnie girls came troop-
ing in, glad to avail themselves of the opportunity which it offered. Only
a small portion of them would have been able to go away to a distant school
or college. But here, at their very doors, they found an opportunitv at a
small cost to obtain the instruction which they desired. And some of them
lived near enough to bring a sufficient supply of their mother's cooking to
last all the week.
They found no s])irit of caste or clannishness to appall them, and soon
ceased to be mortified about their plain clothes and were encouraged to do
JASPER COUNT V, IOWA. 1 39
their best. Many of ilieni had to work or teach a part of the year in order
to earn enough to attend the rest of the time. And tliose who felt unable
to continue their studies for lack of means often received helpful suggestions
from their teacher, and were assured that their tuition could remain unpaid
until they were able to meet it. And to their credit, it can be said that none
of them ever failed to meet this obligation.
At the present time so many educational institutions number their stu-
dents In- hundreds and by thousands, and we are apt to associate successful
instruction ^\ ith large attendance. We forget that many small schools and
colleges are doing a grand work, and that many able men are from in^^titu-
tions that are almost unknown.
In a small school the student is usually brought into closer touch with
the teacher, and had ought to learn from him to l)e a I^etter and brighter
man. And this it seems to me is the best part of the teacher's work, to so
shape and mould the lives of their pupils that they may become a blessing
to others.
Professor Thomas had the faculty of being able to make an impression
for good on the character as well as the minds of those who came under his
instructions. And this has since been shown by their well-ordered lives.
They remember the exemplary life, the words of admonition, and the earn-
est prayers for their guidance ; and somehow these things helped make them
better men and l^etter women.
It is pleasant to know that those who had been most l>enefited by his
services did not wait until he was gone to express their appreciation. But
many gladly did so during his lifetime. A largely attended reunion was once
held at the fair grounds, with a good program, and he was presented with
a siher service, suitably engraved, as a token of his pupil's esteem.
On account of failing health, he was compelled to gi\e up his loved
work in 1884, and seek relief in a milder climate. He retained a warm in-
terest in the welfare of his former pupils, and kept a record of their where-
abouts. And one of his greatest delights was to hear of their success.
He pas.sed away on the 17th of October. 1892. at his home in Carthage,
Missouri, and his body was laid to rest in the Xewton cemetery, amid the
scenes of his earlier years, and among the people that he loved.
Trulv he was a high type of manhood, and "Worthy to bear without
reproach that grand old name of Gentleman.*'
In the preparation of the foregoing sketch I am indebted to a number
of former students and others who have given me facts and suggestions. .\f-
ter havins: consented to do it. I shrank from the task, as I felt that it was a
140 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
subject worthy of some one who could do it better. And having been a pu-
pil, and later an intimate friend of ^Ir. Thomas, I feared that it might be
thought that 1 had unduly magnified the importance of these matters. Hence
mv enquiries of others in regard to their view of it. And 1 have been sur-
prised at their unanimity of opinion, some liaving used words of commenda-
tion stronger than 1 have dared to do.
As it was intended for a permanent history, I felt that it should be
done bv one who was never connected with the school, and preferred that
Hon. A. K. Campbell should do it.
He had been familiar with its history, and had been deeply interested
in the cause of education, and one of the regents of the State University.
But he insisted that I should do it. and furnished me an outline, which I
ha\e somewhat closelv followed in the foregoing.
A. G. Miller, a former pupil, who has been for many years an efficient
police officer in Des Moines and twice chief of the department, makes this
suggestion: That the people of this count}' would do themselves a credit
to erect a suital)le memorial, either a bronze tablet in the court house, or a
monument, in honor of this useful man.
Another student. President Hill ?\1. Bell, of Drake Universit}', writes
in api)reciative words of the school and its teacher. I value his opinion be-
cause he is a successful instructor, and a man of great executive ability, and
also as the head of a great university and one of the trustees of the Carnegie
Pension Fund he has had almost une([ualed opportunity to become acquainted
w ith educators and to weigh their work and worth.
I can not better close than by gi\^ing his letter, in which he exjiresses his
views in a few terse sentences. It is as follows:
"Des Moines^ Iowa, June 3, 1911.
"My Dear Mr. Iniganl :
"In answer to your letter of June 2d. I will say that I feel that Prof.
Darius Thomas exercised a wonderfully good influence upon the earlv his-
tory of Jasper county.
"Hazel Dell Academy will long be rememljered as an institution that
did a service that was not available from any other of like kind.
"I acknowledge my own debt to Professor Thomas.
''He was an excellent teacher, and was in his day an inspiration to many
young men and women.
'A'ory truly yours,
"Hill M. Bell."
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I4I
NEWTOX NORMAL COLLEGE.
The Xcuton Xonnal College was but the continuation of old Hazel
Dell Academy. G. W. W'ormley, in a recent article, states that in the fall
of 1884 he was a student in the Iowa State College and received a communi-
cation from Prof. Darius Thomas, in which letter the latter stated that he
would have to give up teaching on account of failing health, and said : 'T have
chosen vou to be my successor; come down and see me; I want to sell out to
you."
Mr. \\'ormley graduated that autumn as a civil engineer, a field of
work in which he was very much interested. He wrote Professor Thomas that
he had nothing- with which to purchase his school. To this the Professor
replied, "Come down and see me; I can easily manage that part."
Here was an event that was to entirely change the life plans of a young
man for the better or worse, who can say? He himself is unable now to
tell.
He went, and the result was he returned to complete the few remain-
ing weeks of his college course, the owner of Hazel Dell Academy, the place
where he had taken his preparatory work for college.
Professor Thomas had sold his school to ^^Ir. W'ormley on time, about
the only way he could sell to a student just through college. Professor
Wormley has told how Mr. Thomas, after carrying over all the desk-books,
records, charts, etc., belonging to the school, came bringing the keys and the
old copy of the Psalms and Xew Testament which he had read at opening-
exercises for so many years, saying. "This also belongs to you, George. I
hope you will not fail to continue its use in the school," and the answer he
received seemed to satisfy him.
Grand old man — God IMess him. Few nobler ever lived!
The first term opened with an attendance of seventy-five. A pretty big
undertaking for a young man only twenty-four years old, but he taught
them, unaided by any assistants, and seemingly to their satisfaction.
This young principal must have been rugged to some degree for he slept
on a straw tick on the floor in an upstairs room in the academy all winter.
In the spring of 1885 Mr. Wormley married Mary Ellen Spencer, daughter
of Henrv M. Spencer and wife, of iSletz.
In 1886 he built an addition to the academy, more than doubling the
size of the building. The school gained in attendance and the second year
after the addition was finished the enrollment reached one hundred and
fifteen. Two assistants were now employed. The school continued to pros-
per for nine vears. until some of the public-spirited citizens said it ought to
142 JASPER COl-XTV. IOWA.
lia\e a l)ettt'r ei|uipnient and a more favorable location. This ag-itation re-
sulted in the 1)uildino- of the Xewton Xormal College. This was done on
the lot sale plan, through a board of trustees, and was made possible only
through the influence of the business men of Newton and a number of pub-
lic-spirited farmers.
Xot a dollar of remuneration was ev«r received by the board of trustees
for their services; on the contrary, they contributed personally toward the
incidental expenses of their meetings.
On April i-j . 1S93. the contract was let to Fehleisen & Coutts for
tweh'e thousand, one hundred dollars, not including heating and plumbing.
The building was turned over to Professor W'ormley in the month of No-
vember. 1893. The amount received up to this date from lot sales was not
sufficient to enable the trustees to settle with the contractors, accordingly
they had to secure a loan of three thousand dollars on the college.
This mortgage Professor Wormley assumed. This, with two thou-
sand dollars which he paid for a heating plant to a firm in Oskaloosa. with
school furniture, curtains, wells, piano, and the expenses incurred in mov-
ing and remodeling the old academy l)uilding to be used as a dormitory, put
him in debt six thousand, five hundred dollars, all of which he paid eight
per cent interest upon. He had paid for Hazel Dell and had one thousand
dollars in the bank at the close of 1892. This he had spent in purchasing
lots, so he was compelled to l)orrow the entire six thousand, five hundred
dollars in order to put the new building in condition to open for school the
.winter of 1893. This debt he paid off at the end of seven years, partly by
tuition, and partly by money raised from the sale of his residence (the
old D. T. ^liller property) and the academy lots.
The new school was maintained from 1893 to 1906, a period of thirteen
years. Much lasting good was accomplished in this period among the stu-
dents. This institution was in continuous operation for a period of fifty
years, beginning in 1856 and ending in 1906. Twenty-eight years of the
time the school was under the management of Prof. Darius Thomas and
twenty-two years under Prof. G. W. ^^^ormley.
Beginning almost at the opening of the new school — the Normal Col-
lege — changes were taking place in our jnil^lic school system, \\hich no one
could have foreseen and which no one would wish to prevent had they fore-
seen. These changes encroached more and more upon the field fcjrmerly
occupied by the scln^ol, imtil five years ago (1906) Professor Wormlev. not
satisfied with the outlook, sold out his school and retired to a farm home
near Newton. The normal college building is now occupied bv a manu-
facturing plant.
CHAPTER XL
NEWSPAPER PRESS OE FASPER COIXTV.
The newspaper press of the land today exerts a more potent influence
upon the world than even the pulpit or the bar. The power for good or
evil of the press is almost unlimited. The shortcomings of the politician
are made known through the columns of the newspaper. The dark deeds
of the wicked are made known to the people of all communities. The con-
trolling influence of a state or nation is its press, and what is true generally
today is true and has been for many years in Jasper countv.
The local press is justly considered among the most important insti-
tutions of every ^■illage, town and city. The people of almost all communi-
ties regard their special newspaper as almost invaluable in the home, the
workshop and ofiice. One by one the facts for news items are collected bv
competent, reliable reporters : the printer puts them into cold tvpe : one bv
one the papers are rolled forth from fast-moving presses : one bv one these
papers are gathered and bound into a volume of invaluable historical infor-
mation for the eyes of future people. The bound volumes of newspaper files
are then gleaned by the local historian and from their pages, sometimes very
yellow and dusty with age, come forth pages of history worth the reading,
which had it not been thus safely preserved would forever have been lost
to the reading, thinking world. The people of each town and county naturally
have a pride in their own publications. The local press, as a general ^ule.
reflects the business enterprise, the moral standing and the religious senti-
ment of the community in which it is published. Judging from this stand-
ard, the efforts in the right direction in Jasper county have indeed been com-
mendable.
The first newspaper in the county was the Exf>rcss. founded in 1836.
The first daily was started by Rodgers & Newell in 1 861-2 and con-
tinued for seven months, when the war took the youthful proprietors into an
Iowa regiment. Xewell was killed at A^'icksburg. Rodgers is now assistant
editor on the Xczcfon Record.
The latest newspaper venture in Jasper county is the socialistic publi-
cation established bv Dr. Perry Engle of Xewton. It is a small monthly
paper devoted to political and economic interests. It is known as the AVrc--
ton Ethics. It is parti v home and partly outside make-up.
144 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Among the earliest journals in this county, of which hut little is now
known, was the W'ittcuthcry Educator, jjuhlished hy the faculty of the Wit-
temherg- College, mentioned in the educational chapter. It was established
in 1857 and continued a few years, then changed its nam€ to the Wittcm-
bcrg Rcz'iczv. which became a semi-monthly instead of a monthly, as had been
the Educator.
THE NEWTON NEWSPAPERS.
In order to give a correct understanding of the press history in the city
of Xewton it should be stated that the history of several of the newspapers
here are mingled one with the other, their history being about as follows :
The first real newspaper was the Express, founded in 1856 by Besack
& Welker. Welker soon withdrew from the paper, and in 1857 F- T. Camp-
bell purchased an interest, and a little later Besack disposed of his remain-
ing interest to A. K. Campbell, about which date the name was changed to
Free Press. Campbell Brothers conducted the paper till 1861. when F. T.
(Frank) Campbell left his interests in the hands of his brother and went to
the front as a Civil war Union soldier. On his return he engaged in the news-
paper business at JNIontezuma until 1865, when he returned to Newton and
published the Free Press until 1867, when he sold to Patton and W. A. Camp-
bell. They, in turn, sold to \\'. S. Benham in 1870, and he continued im-
til New Year's 1877, when he disposed of the property to Sage & Robinson,
which firm was made up of the present weather bureau director, John R.
Sage, of Des Moines, and Ralph Robinson, still residing at his old home-
stead in Newton, honored and respected by all classes. Air. Robinson was
once proprietor of the Herald at Clarinda, Page county, Iowa, also associ-
ated at Fairfield with that pioneer journalist editor, Junkin, and in early
life, after having learned his trade as printer in Wheeling, West A^irginia,
was connected with the \arious papers at Pittsburg, Pennsyhania. After
a partnership of alx)ut twelve months. Air. Sage had a banter from Robin-
son to buy or sell for cash, and Sage, not having the cash at his command, the
property passed at once to the hands of Air. Robinson, who conducted it as
a straight out and out, always true-blue Republican organ, and his \ears of
editorial writing on this publication, which name was changed to the Journal,
when he took hold of it alone, have numbered thirty-three, he running it un-
til 1910, and very reluctantly gave it up on account of failing health. He
sold to F. L. Boy don. one of its present owners.
ATr. Robinson put in the first power press in Jasper county, and had one
of the finest plants — newspaper and job — in Iowa and his editorials were
copied widely among all Republican papers in the West.
JASPER COL'XTY, IOWA. 145
To complete the history of the Journal, the reader will please note the
connection it finally had with the old Banner and Headlight, the outline
history of which here follows:
In 1868. J. B. Besack decided to start another journal in Xewton. he
having purchased the material of the defunct Banner, a Democratic paper,
of short duration. He called his new venture in Newton the Republican, but
through various financial causes it went to the wall and fell into the sheriff's
hands in 1874. On its ruins F. T. Campbell and T. H. Rodgers established
the Headlight, which continued to shine and reflect the news of Jasper
county and Newton until 1877, when it formed a union with the Free Press,
and the j)reseiit Xewton JoiidiqI arose out of the ashes of both.
In 1 910 the Daily Journal made its first a])pearance and is now run as
such. It is a creditable daily and well circulated in the community.
The Jasper County Independent was established September i, 1868, by
H. A. Hanson, at Newton. Under his management it was. however, known
as the Democratic Sentiiiel. Four years later he sold to Charles A. Clark,
who issued his first paper in August. 1872. He changed the name to that
of the Jasper County Independent. It was ever a strong Democratic paper,
ablv edited and well patronized. In 1877 a Campbell power press was made
to supersede the old hand press, and for many years it stood as one of the
able advocates of Democracy in Iowa.
DAILY NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY.
The first dailv newspaper in Jasper county was established in the winter
of 1 861 -2 bv two striplings of boys, yet in their teens. T. M. Rodgers and
Jackson F. Newell. The former is now the well-known new s])aper man
called familiarly "Tommy" Rodgers. and the latter was wounded at the
fearful siege of \'icksburg. Mississippi. ]^Iay 22, 1863. and died from the
effects June ist. that year.
These two youths were apprentices on the Free Press of Newton, run by
the Campbell Brothers, and they got permission of these gentlemen to work
extra time and get out a four-column daily paper, giving the important Civil
war news, as the\- had arranged to secure the dispatches from the first
telegrapher who e\er handled the keys at the Newton office. C. J. Housel.
He took them as they passed over the wires to the w estern cities. The 1-ree
Press l^eing a weeklv paper, it u.sed some of this war news matter in its edi-
tion. Thev continued to conduct this daily, which had a large circulation
for those days, until .\ugust. 1862. when both boys enlisted as volunteers in
(10)
I4^» JASPER COl'NTV, IOWA.
the I'nion cause (See War chapter). Had it not l)een for that war, no tell-
in;^ what their career might have lieen by this time. The name of the daily
was The Xci^ion Monitor. They were at a loss to know what to call the
publication until that well-known lady. Mrs. Nettie Sanford-Chapin, whose
maiden name was Skiff, suggested the name Monitor, in honor of the gun-
boat 1)\ that name that liad just sunk tlie Rebel "Merrimac." It was greatly
appreciated by the patriotic citizens of Jasper county.
The next daily in Xewton was that run by the Herald ofifice (see Herald
history). In passing, it should be added that the daily run by the Herald
oflfice was not of long duration, as it passed to the hands of the present K'eiv-
ton Daily News.
The Herald dates back many years in its history. First the lozua Nia-
tional, a Greenback organ, was established in the winter of 1877-8 in New-
ton, and in 1878 a stock company was formed. com[X)sed of citizens of New-
ton and one Charles F. Neal. The paper appeared February ist, with Mr.
Neal as its editor. Soon J. D. Rickman purchased a part of Neal's interest
and the paper was published until September 23d. when Neal & Rickman
sold their stock to the balance of the company and in 1878 the stockholders
were: Milton Briggs. J- H. F. Balderson. J. C. Cotrell, C. W. Harcourt,
George Early. Squire Sims. Perry Engle, M. D., J. R- Clements. Dr. Miller,
John Meredith. A. T. Hinshaw. J. R. Mershon. Rev. T. F. Brown. D. N. Mc-
Cord. Their motto was ''Forward, upward and onward, and while we so-
licit the indulgence of our friends, we ask no favors of our enemies." Dr.
Perrv Engle became editor and changed the name to the Newton Herald. Tt
is still run as a weekly paper, but has l)een in the hands of many persons up
to the ])resent time. It was run by Engle. then by Engle & Son and they
sold to Ci. F. Rinehart. who conducted it many years in a successful man-
ner, as a Democratic organ. Tn Deceml)er. TQ05. he sold the plant to J. F.
Robinson, and in .\])ril, 1906. he sold to his son. L. E. Robinson, and in Sep-
tember of that year he sold to Air. Rinehart, who had previously owned it.
Rinehart conducted it initil Noveml)er. T906. when he sold it to M. Bilder-
back. and in Januarw i(>io. he sold to C. F. Ridings and he in turn sold in
May, 1910. to J. F. Klein. He ran it till July. iqio. when he sold to M.
Miller, and he in October, 1910, to the Herald Company, W. M. Ward, edi-
tor, as it is still published. This paper has cut a wide swath in the historv
of Newton pa])ers. Tt is still one of the leading newspapers in J'lsper countv.
It has had good and bad men at the helm. l)nt tlie proi)ert\- has al\\a\"S been
valuable and found a warm welcome in many of the homes of this countv.
Its numerous changes in form and dress are of not so much historic interest,
as its policv and its editorials.
JASPER COUXTV. IOWA. I47
At present its business is large, including its subscription list and ex-
cellent job department, operated through the medium of the latest appliances
known to the art.
It was once a daily, with V. L. Boyden as editor, and under the editor-
ship of Perry Engle the Herald was the hrsi paper in the nation to advo-
cate the policy of "referendum," now so highly popular.
The daily was sold to the present Nrzcfoii Daily Nez^s office.
The Nczi'fon Daily Xczcs was established in 1902. as a separate publi-
cation, it having been run as the daily edition of the Newton Herald up to
that time. The Nen-s pulled its first issue as a daily under the present name,
on May 19. 1902. James R. Rhoades is its editor. It is a newsy, public-
spirited publication, greeting hundreds of homes each week dav in the vear.
Its circulation grew rapidly from the first issue under the present able man-
agement. It is perhaps one of Iowa's best dailies for a town of the size in
which it is published. Its moral tone and business enterprise is indeed praise-
worthy. Its present form is a seven-column folio. Its mechanical appear-
ance is up to date. The job office connected therewith is fullv abreast with
modern printing. It is set up by means of the first linotype in the citv. See
history of the Herald for the early history of dailies in Xewton.
The Xezcton Record (weekly) was established in the month of August.
1894. by Blazer & W'hitham, of Aledo. Illinois, and was edited bv Homer A.
Galloway. October 15, 1897. it was purchased by L. A. Andrew, who con-
ducted it five years, but had many an enemy and sold to C. A. Marlin. of
Audubon. Iowa, and he in turn sold, in Fel)ruary. 1905. to W. S. Johnson a
one-half interest. In 1907 \Iy. Johnson purchased the entire propertv and
still conducts the paper as a weekly. It has always espoused the Republican
political cause, and is one of the cleanest, brightest local papers in this section
of the state. Its local editor. T. ^I. Rodgers, has long been connected with
the press of the town and he makes it a fine family newspaper, because of his
industry and wide acquaintance throughout Jasi)er county. It is a six-column
quarto paper, run on a Cottrel power press operated by electric motor power
for the last five years. The office also has a fine job plant, including a Gordon
and a two-revolution cylinder jobber. Its subscription price is one dollar per
year.
NEWSPAPERS AT I.YNXVILLE.
Lynn \i He has had her own share of newspapers, some short-li\ed, and
.'^ome longer. The history of the press at this point in 1878 was written up
as follows by a local scribe :
I
148 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
The LynuviUe Gaccffc was established as a six-coluiiTn folio newspaper,
Xoveniber 26, 1868, by Evans & Arnold. It continued six months, when
Evans collected all ad\ance subscriptions he could and went away for the
enjoyment of the money thus obtained, while Mr. Arnold was left to settle
up the affairs of the oftice. The paper was soon discontinued and Lynn-
ville was paperless until September 16. 1876. when Mr. Arnold started the
lozca Interior Nczcs, which continued until June i, 1878, when the pro-
prietor went to Kellog\i^ and there engaged in like business.
After the editor of the Inferior decided to remove to Kellogg, the town
was without a newspaper for a time, but other attempts were made by dif-
ferent persons, these trials only ending in dismal failures. The present
spicy newspaper, the LynnriUc Star, was toimded in 1900 and is ably con-
ducted by Charles W. W'ildman. who is the mayor of the town and the ef-
ficient postmaster, as well as an insurance and realty operator of the place.
This paper is a six-column quarto, partly home and partly foreign print. It
is published each Thiirsdav and its yearly subscription price is one dollar.
THE BAXTER NEW ERA.
At Baxter there was a paper established soon after the building" of the
railroad, and in 1882 it was founded by a Mr. Brown and known as the
Baxter Neics. Jt was l>eing conducted in 1888 by Will Johnson, who sold
to C. B. Francisco in 1892 and after two years he sold to James Brower.
who conducted it fourteen months, when it died. Brower then, in the sum-
mer of 1895, established what is now the Nezc Era. which he sold to C. B.
Francisco, Septeml^er i. 1896. and he in turn sold to the present publisher,
Harry Hazlett, July i, 1899. The present outfit is good, up to date, and in
keeping with the general enterprise of the town of Baxter. Three presses
are installed, a Campbell. Peerless and Gordon jobber. The N^ezv Era is
always Republican and an organ of no little or uncertain influence. The
news, all the news and not afraid of printing tlie news as its editor finds it,
might well be its motto.
COLEAX JOURNALISM.
The hist(jr)- of newspapers in Colfax is somewhat hartl to get at, for
various reasons, among these the fact that complete files have not been pre-
served from the founding of the pioneer papers.
It is known that the Coif as Reporter was founded in 1876 bv \\'. B.
Stearns. This was ])iil)lishe(l until Xovember of that vear. when it was sold
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. 149
to meet the debts incurred in founding it. It was purchased by J. W. Jarna-
gan, and on January 4. 1878, he began the publication of the Sentinel, first
a six-cohnnn folio, and later a five-coluntn quarto.
The Colfax Tribune was established in 1893 ^^^ ^^ "o^^' conducted by
C. L. Smith as an independent local paper. It is six-column and a quarto,
fifteen by thirty inches in size. It is run on a power press, by gasoline power,
and is issued each Thursday, at one dollar and fifty cents per year in advance.
The Colfax Clipper was established in June, 1879. by H. \\\ Robinson
and is still owned and operated by him. It is a six-column quarto paper, run
on a Campbell press by gasoline engine. It is a "stand-pat"' Repuljlican
organ, four pages home print and balance ready print.
The Clipper succeeded the old Colfax Sentinel. It now enjoys a liberal
patronage and does an immense amount of fine job work. Its plant is
equipped with the latest type and presses for the speedy and artistic execu-
tion of such work and the jobljers are busy the }"ear round.
The Prairie City Xez^'S, among the bright newsful papers of Jasper
county, has come down through the following changes in proprietors. The
following was written of the newspaper history in Prairie City, in 1878:
'The first paper published in Prairie City was the Gleaner and Herald,
bv lacob Sanders, in 1870. which only survived about one year.
■'The next publication was the Index, established by McGinitie & Bart-
lett. in 1873. After a short time Bartlett sold to Col. W. Hammond, who
.soon purchased ]\lcGinitie's interest. After a short career, the Colonel, hav-
ing other business affairs of more importance to him. ceased the publication
of the paper.
"The next paper was the Xeivs, established by H. L. McGinitie. In
1878 this paper was described as a six-column folio. Republican in politics
and had a good business, including a good job office.
"A Greenback organ was published at this town in 1878, but in August
of that year suspended."
H. L. ;McGinitie established the Nezvs from the old hulex office, and he
was succeeded by B. C. \\'ard, now of Des ;Moines, who continued six or
more vears and gave way to A. A. Thompson and he in turn to Hammack &
Allen, who sold to S. M. Robinson, who sold to Frank L. Woodard, who is
now engaged in the general insurance business at Prairie City. He con-
ducted the paper from October. 1891, to the spring of 1897 and sold to
Robert lones. who consolidated with the Kodaek T another paper of the
town) and it was then known as the News-Kodack. The next change was
when it was purchased bv E. G. Robison and changed to the Prairie City
1 :^0 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
A^czi's. After some time he sold to S. B. Patterson and he to D. A. ]McDon-
ald. who sold to the present proprietor, Al. S. Condon. The last named took
possession some time in 1910. The office is well equipped with job printing
material and its proprietor seems to be the right man at the helm, both as a
local editor and job printer.
MONROE NEWSPAPER HISTORY.
At Monroe, the first newspaper was the South-Side Transcript, estab-
hshed in 1872, by Leroy W. Alhim. Imt a year later changed the name to
Monroe Mirror. The founder sold the material, but not the subscription list,
which the purchaser had overlooked in the sale contract. Allum continued
the Mirror till 1877, when P. St. Clair took a partnership for a time, but re-
tired in four months, when Mr. Allum took full control. The Transcript and
Mirror worked side by side for nine months, when the Transcript ceased to
be issued.
In the month of April. 1877. ^Messrs. Betzer & Jarnigan estal)lished the
Times, which survived three months only. Later on, the Monitor, a little
monthly, was started by Elder J. W. Todd, which publication was changed to
the Temperance Reformer, and continued three months, when it was con-
verted into a weekly paper. It had four editors within a dozen weeks' time.
Mr. Allum was in control until October, 1880, when he sold the office
to John Vandermast, the present owner and editor, who has been constantly
in the editorial harness ever since that autumnal day thirty-one years ago.
At three different dates since his coming to INlonroe, attempts have been
made to run a newspaper outside of his, but all have "gone up the flume."
The list is the Monroe Leader, by L. J. Anderson, who stuck to it three
months; the second attempt was the Monroe Reviezv, by a Mr. Booton, and
he held down the tripod about one year. Then came the Pride of Monroe.
by C. A. Cox, who stuck to the ship for about two months and since then
the Mirror has been the only reflector of the local news for the town, and be
it said that it is a good newspaper, run in a modern way, by a man who un-
derstands what a news item is and runs it down. Long may its pages shine
under the present management.
NEWSPAPERS AT KELT.OGG.
At Kellogg the first paper established was the Reporter in ^^~^,. Its
founder was N. C. McBeth. who continued until 1878, when he abandoned
the field. His partner for a short time was M. E. Rudolph.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I5I
In 1878 the K'fllogg Post was established by B. F. Arnold, during the
month of June. It was a bright, newsy Republican local paper. At first it
was printed on material and presses of the Interior News at Lynnville. Mr.
Arnold sold the Post to J. R. Chandler and he in turn sold to J. C. Pratt, who
later moved the plant to Perry, Iowa.
In 1876, the Iozlu JVorkman was founded at Kellogg by J. Madison
Kirk. This was the organ of the United Workmen in Iowa. It had a very
large circulation and was finally removed to Davenport in the spring of 1878.
The Kellogg Enterprise, the present creditable newspaper of the town,
was founded April 30, 1880, by J. W. Burke and W. P. Coutts, who were
in partnership for six and almost a half years, when Mr. Coutts became sole
proprietor and for all these thirty-one years has been connected and edited
the Enterprise. At first it was a five-column quarto and was printed first on
a Wells job press of an ancient type; then it was printed from a Washington
hand-press, but today is printed on a Hoe power press and is an eight-column
folio in form and size. The office is also equipped with two modern style
jobbers, a Star and a Gordon press. The power press was installed in 1902.
The Enterprise has missed but one issue in thirty-one years and then on ac-
count of changes in oftice equipment which could not be accomplished in one
week. The editor of this paper is a true citizen of his town and county and
is now running the only Democratic sheet in the eastern part of his county.
He is an able writer and works early and late, year in and year out. for the
upbuilding of Kellogg.
The Tribune was established in 1889, by J. W. Burke, who conducted
it until February, 1909, but the plant was injured by the great fire and after
running it a few months longer it was suspended. Its politics was Republi-
can.
CHAPTER XII.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.
The ])ioneer band who first settled Iowa, inchuh'n.2: Jasper county, were
not all devoted Christians, by any means, but it should be recorded that many
of the men and women who made up the vanguard of true civilization here
were God-fearing- persons, who in some one of the older ^Middle or Eastern
states had been identified with some church organization and did not leave
their devotion and religious practices when they departed for the wilds of
"beyond the Mississippi river." On the contrary, they soon gathered in pri-
vate houses, and later in rude log buildings, and there worshipped the only
true and living God. as they had done in the land of their nativity. Building
for themselves a home in a new country meant more than to acquire a large
tract of cheap government land and to erect a log cabin in which to live and
rear their young. It meant gaining a livelihood, by hard work, but coupled
with this, the aim was to properly educate the mind and heart of the on-
coming generation ])y the formation of school districts and the organization
of church societies which carried their own religious conviction into practice.
Erom the best obtainable evidence, the first religious service in Jasper county
was in the fore part of 1844 at the house of Adam Tool. It was a meeting-
presided over by a young Methodist Episcopal minister whose voice sounded
like "one crying m the wilderness," and he was gladly listened to bv the few
who lived within four or five miles of Tool's Point. The historv of the
^lethodist church at Monroe, found within this cha])ter. will gi\e the historv
of this starting of religious .services in Jasper county, and which have in-
creased in strength and good works until, according to the 1905 state census
report, Jasper county had the following denominational representation, the
list showing the number of church organizations and the niembershi]^ of the
denomination in this county :
Bapti.st (Regular), three congregations and a total membership of 405.
Catholic, three congregations, 350 members.
Christian, four congregations and t,6oo members.
Congregational, seven churches, 886 members.
Eree Methodist, one society, thirty members.
Friends (Orthodox), tw^o meetings, 370 members.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I53
German Baptist Brethren, one society, fifty members.
Lutheran churches, two, members, i88.
Methodist Episcopal, nineteen churches. 1.676 members.
Methodist (African), one with a membership of 16.
Presbyterians, three churches, 219 members.
United Presbyterians, three churches. 247 members.
United Brethren churches, two, membership, 100.
Total number churches, fifty: total number of members, in all churches
in the county, 5,664: total value of churches and parsonages in countv. $27,"/,-
500.
In the early part of the summer of 1844. while on his way to get some
supplies for his household, Adam Tool met a stranger who proved to be a
young ^Methodist preacher, sent out to establish a circuit. He met Mr. Tool
on the open prairie and on horseback. He was invited to make Tool's place
a stopping place and a preaching point in the new settlement. In 1845 ^^^'O
ministers were sent in. Their circuit took in the old Agency City, and Tool's
Point circuit was seventy-five miles long. In 1846 the work changed so that
it extended northwest to connect Tool's Point with Coon Mission, extending
to where Boonsboro was later located, then across the Des ^loines river and
the Coon river at Fort Des ^Moines, then down the Three River country.
With so many unbridged streams, fording was a frequent occurrence, and
the early circuit rider's life was anything but a "flowery bed of ease."
The first Sunday school was established in 1844 just over the Marion
county line, but attended by the settlers of Jasper county.
The first church organization of Jasper county was perfected in the
winter of 1846-7 by J. A. Hammond. E. R. Wright was soon made class
leader, the society being of the Methodist Episcopal faith.
The third societv was formed in 1848. made up of diflferent denomina-
tions, but mostly of the Baptist faith. Preaching was had at Hartwell Hayes*
place.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.
At ^Monroe the first religious denomination was formed in Jasper county.
It was. as has so many times been the case, given to the ^Methodist people to
first set up the cross of Christ in this new country at a time when the red
man had just alx)ut given his last farewell to the country and a few settlers
had set their claim stakes and built their rude log cabins.
1 :;_^ JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Early in the spring of 1844. Adam M. Tool, while going to mill at
Brighton, chanced to fall in with a young ]\Iethodist preacher, who asked him
if he helieved the people in his little neighborhood would like to have him
come in and preach for them. Mr. Tool replied he thought they would. This
young man of God was Rev. J. W. Johnson, who soon came to the settlement
and preached at Mr. Tool's house. Soon afterwards a class was organized,
the same consisting of Mrs. Susan A. Tool, Washington Fleenor and wife,
and David Worth and wife.
Later in the same season, a two days' meeting was held, when James A.
Tool and his sister, Airs. Hill united with the class. The membership re-
mained stationary then until the winter of 1849-50, during which season a
revival was held, probably in charge of Rev. J. Q. Hammond, when the
membership was increased to si.xteen, a part being by letter. It is know-n
that Revs. Gibson and Hanson had preached the Word in 1846-7, and Rev.
Raynor and Rev. Kirkpatrick during 1848. The revival was held at the
school house.
The first church building was a frame building, erected in 1856; it was
homely, but very comfortable for those early times. In size it was thirty by
fortv feet, and cost about one thousand seven hundred dollars. By that date
the church membership had increased to about seventy-five.
In 1874 another church was built. This was a frame structure forty by
sixty-four feet, with a vestibule and bell tower. Its cost was five thousand
dollars. In 1878 this church was still doing good service and the church had
a membership of three hundred and twenty.
The following have served as pastors in this church, with possibly a few-
others whose names have not been inscribed on the record books: Revs. J.
Q. Hammond, Gibson, K5rkpatrick. Michael Seay, 1850; Rev. Pierce, 1851;
Joseph Hall. 1853; J. B. Allender, 1854-5; E. M. H. Fleming and Rev. Gard-
ner in 1856; A. Coleman, 1857; Bussey, 1858; E. Wood, 1859; A. Lauback,
i860; C. W. Shaw, 1862-3; B. Holland, 1864-5; Early, 1866; F. :M. Slusser,
1867-69; George Clammer, 1870; T. McKay Stuart, 1870-73; D. Mclntyre,
1874; P. St. Clair, 1875; ^^^'- Brown, 1876. From that date to the present
the following, among others, have served : Revs. Brown, Clammer, Murphy,
Durfey, Heaton, Stahl, September, 1893 to 1896; R. W. Smith, 1896-98; A.
V. Knepper, 1898 to 1902; D. M. Hilmich, 1898-02; J. A. Ross, 1902 to
1904; A. E. Foutch, 1904 to 1906; J. C. Pike, 1906-1909; Charles P. John-
son, 1909 to date.
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. 1 55
THE NKWTOX METHODIST CHURCH.
The First Methodist Episcopal church of Newton was organized in
1848 by a Httle class which had been collected by Rev. Strange Brooks.
Among- the original members were Willis Green and wife and their two
daughters. E. Shipley and wife, James Pearson and wife, Thomas Pearson
and wife. Willis Green was the first class-leader.
In the winter of 1858-9 a union revival service was held at the old court
house, which was conducted by Rev. Thomas Merrill, and Rev. Bartlett,
Congregationalists, Rev. Fleming, of the Methodist church, and Rev. ^Ir.
Steel, of the Presbyterian church. After the new converts had chosen their
own church home, it was found that eighteen had united with the Methodist
society.
The first church edifice for this society was erected in 1856-7 and cost
two thousand dollars. It was thirty by fifty feet. Later a good bell was
added to the property.
The records show that in 1877 there were two hundred and ten mem-
bers in good standing, which has increased with the passing years to seven
hundred and twenty-five.
The list of pastors is not quite clear during the first few years, but it is
certain that the following is not far from a complete list, beginning at 1854:
Revs. Parker, Hiles, Petefish. Flemming, Carrier, Shaefer. Hestwood, \\'in-
nings, Shaw, Brown, Harris, Busby, Reynolds, Shriner, Evans (in 1878),
W. G. Thorn, R. A. Carimine, J. A. Boatman, J. G. Barton. I. O. Kimble.
G. M. Tuttle, E. L. Shriner, J. W. Lewis, E. C. Brooks, C. V. Cowan, J- C.
Willits, J. \\'. Hackley, O. S. Baker, W. P. Stoddard, W. H. Perdew.
The present value of the church property of this society is twenty thou-
sand dollars. Of the various building operations it should be stated that in
1 88 1 the present church was erected, at a cost of fourteen thousand dollars.
It was destroyed by fire in 1885, caused by a poor furnace. It was rebuilt
the same vear at a cost made up largely from insurance money received.
In 1898 an addition was erected, at a cost of five thousand dollars, making it
almost as large again.
The increasing membership necessitates a new and larger building, and
in the spring of 191 1 the trustees were instructed to secure subscriptions,
plans, etc.. with the view of erecting a larger edifice, which will doubtless
be carried forward in the near future. Great is the contrast in Xewton
Methodism between these days and those early times of which the county
record books speak as follows :
1-6 JASl'ER COrXTV. IOWA.
••Ordered, that the trustees of the parsonaiie of the Methodist Episcopal
mission church have a deed granted to them for lot No. 8. block No. 25."
(Dated July, 1851. and signed by the Board of County Commissioners.)
tool's chapel METHODIST.
[The following is from the hfty-sixtli anniversary of this church's his-
tor\ . compiled in a neat booklet and is worthy of reproducing, it relating to
earlv Methodism in Jasper county. — Editor.]
The earlv history of the Methodist circuit rider and the development of
this country run side by side. With the foundation of this government
Methodism came on the scene, and as rapidly as the boundary was pushed
westward, and in some instances before, the friendly face of the Methodist
circuit rider was seen in his work of spreading the gospel of Jesus of
Niazareth.
The first religious service held in this section was in the home of Brother
Tool, in 1849. in a ten-by-twelve log house that stood where now stands the
home of Austin Sheeler. During this year a camp-meeting was held by the
big spring, a half mile north of Draper, by Re^•. Mr. Parker, a supply on the
Monroe mission.
The work continued until December, 1853, when a class was organized
called ''Tool's Class," R. B. Allender being the preacher in charge and John
Hayden, presiding elder, with James A. Tool as class leader. The members
at that date were : James A. Tool, Mrs. S. Tool, Allen McDannel, Louis
Wright (later Mrs. J. H. Woody), Mrs. Elizal^eth Miller, Mrs. Mary F.
Franklin, William Burns, Mrs. Amelia Burns. Mrs. Mahala Romans, Mrs.
Sarah Rater. In the old class-1x)ok is still to be seen this inscription : ''Re-
member the Friday preceding each quarterly conference, as a day of fasting
and praver. for the prosperity of Zion in our midst."
A church was erected in 1866. under the direction of the pastor. Rev.
I. O. Kemble. This was after another great camp-meeting by the old spring-
just mentioned. J. A. Tool gave the site for the building and soon a neat
chapel was erected, twenty-six by thirty-six feet, costing one thousand four
hundred and twenty-five dollars, dedicated in 1867. Tt was named "Tool's
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 137
Chapel" l)v the pastor, Rev. Kemble. In 1899 it was remodeled and rededi-
cated. and was re-seated in 1904.
The record of pastors shows the followin,t^ array since that pioneer
commencement in 1853. given in the order in which they served: Revs. R.
B. .\llender, Eli Fleming, Austin Coleman, Amos Bussy, Enoch Wood, A.
Eauback, C. Shaw. B. Holland, E O. Kemble, Horton, Worden, Carrier,
Kino-. Armstead. 1". J. Meyers, Eli Sampson, IJ. B. Smith, A. Kershaw. A.
Shaffer, A. J. Belknap. Cook, J. Butler. Slusser, E. Hartley, C. V. Cowan,
S. Hestwood, Brown, J. Clulow. C P. Van Wye, ^E S. Stryker. G. "^^oun-
kin, P. B. Davison, ^^^ H. Gifford, Will Hughes, E. E. Doud, D. S. Dunla-
vey. D. F. Stiles, W. H. Jones, W. E. Fry, H. C. Millice, F. S. Seeds.
IRA METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Tra was organized in 1S89, l>y the
following members: W. E. Rippey. Mr. and Mrs. Eli Cross, James Poul-
son. James Cross. Mrs. Mary Crawford, Mrs. Zimmerman. Mr. and Mrs.
Doctor Goodman. Mrs. Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. James Baker, Mrs. Colwell.
The church now has a membership of eighty in good standing. The
church edifice, thirtv bv forty feet, cost three thousand dollars, and was
erected of wooden material.
The pastors have been Revs. Patterson, Raymond. T. A. Eami)Son,
Frank Ewan, E. C. Hackathorn, M. A. Wright. William Blood, Bartholo,
C. C. Wilkins. W. D. Price, Charles Knoll, W^ \\'. Williams.
VALERIA METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Methodism at Valeria was established in 1890 and now the church has
a membership of twenty-eight. The first members were Mrs. Henninger, of
Bondurant; Mrs. Mary Henninger. ]\Irs. Maria Eawrence, Mr. and Mrs.
Poling.
.\ church building was erected thirty by forty feet, at a cost of two
thousand dollars. AA'hen the great Valeria cyclone passed through the county
in May, 1896. this building was removed four feet from its foundation. The
list of pastors have been the same as found in the lu'story of the church at Tra.
MIXGO METIIODI.ST EPISCOPAL ClfURCH.
At Mingo the Methodist church was estal)lished in 1887 and now has a
membership of one hundred and fifty-four. The congregation now worships
in a five thousand dollar edifice. The pastors serving here are the same as
158 JASPKK fOlXTV, IOWA.
those given in tlie Ira church history. The charter members of the Alingo
church were as follows: Robert Boyd and wife. John Penquite, Mrs. John
Penquite. Mrs. John Boyd. \\'. A. W'itmer. Mrs. W. J. Southern, Mrs. Fred
Wiles, Eli Boyd. :\Irs. Eli Boyd. Mrs. Fred Utiles. Mrs. Abe Penquite.
KKLI-OGG METHODIST KPISCOP.VL CHURCH.
This church was organized in 1866. For some time, in the early history
of Kellogg. Sunday school was held in a passenger coach, this being the end
of the Rock Island road at that time. UpcMi the erection of a school house
( bv a stock company) the school was transferred to that building and all de-
nominations used it as a church. The present church building is a frame
structure, thirty-two by fifty feet, erected during the pastorate of Rev. R. J.
Kenyon. in 1870. In June. 1870. during the erection of the building, a storm
struck it with such force that it had to be partly rebuilt. The record shows
that among tlie first members were: William \"aughan and wife. Mehnda
and Elijah Cowles. Mrs. Mary Cowles and daughter Elizabeth united on
probation at the same time. The earliest preaching was by Rev. Mr. Moore,
of the Grinnell circuit. Other members of about that date were Almira Bron-
son. John Bronson. Clark Florer. Mrs. Hannah Florer, Martin Schoffner.
Rel)ecca Schoffner. J. E. Fisher. ]\Irs. ^l. E. Fisher. W. J. Hagwood. Mrs.
Betsa Hagwood. Mrs. Mira J. Stanley, S. C. Beeleney. ]Mrs. Sarah Beeleney,
Phil Shoemaker. Helen Shoemaker, Amanda Mirely. John E. Auten. Sarah
.\uten. Mr. and ^^Irs. Hyatt. Marion Monett. Maggie IMonett. Mrs. Thomas
W'ingate. Joel Dunton. Mary Dunton, D. S. McCoun, Retta AlcCoun. The
present membership is forty-three.
\\'hat is styled the Kellogg circuit was formed in 1866. and consisted of
Kellogg. Lynnville, Rushville. Rock Creek and Pleasant View. Rev. B. F.
Wright was assigned to the charge. The following have served as pastors :
Revs. Rankin, Moore. 1867; C. W. S. Shaw. 1868-9; R- J- Kenyon, 1870-1-2:
J. M. Coats, 1873-4: Cyrus Morey, 1875-6: C. P. Reynolds, 1877-8-9: B. F.
Share, 1880-1-2; John Potter. 1883; O. C. Shelton, 1884: R. A. Allison,
1885: G. W. Younkin, 1886; James Cleeclow. 1887: A. \Y. Haines. 1888-
9-90; C. W. Shephard. 1892-3-4; M. A. Aleagher, 1895; Isaac Borts, 1896-
7: D. R. Martin, 1898-9-1900: H. F. Robin.son. 1901-02: A. J. Bruner and
L. A. Crull. 1903; L. A. Crull, 1904-5: H. W. Munster, 1906; Richard
Breeden, two months; J. .\. Murray. 1907-8; Ireland. 1909: H. C. Millice,
1910-11. The church cost two thousand se\en hun(b-cd dollars and the par-
sonage six hundred dollars.
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. 1 59
RUSIIVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Rushville church of this denomination was organized April 25,
1855. ^y i^ev. J. D. Hiles, and had for its original class Robert W. Wilson
and wife and their daughters, Frances, Charlotte and Irene; William Morrow
and wife. Margaret, and daughter. Mary Ann; John Oldfield and wife. R.
A\'. Wilson being the first class leader. The membership in April, 191 1. is
thirty- four and three probationers.
The pastors have been Revs. J. D. Hiles, 1855; William Clearage. 1856;
A. H. Murphy. 1857-8; A. H. Shafer. 1859-60; George Clammor. 1863-4-5;
B. F. Wright. 1866; Rev. Moore. 1867; C. W. Shaw, 1868-9; R. J. Kenyon,
1870-1-2; J. M. Coats. 1873-4; Cyrus Morey. 1875-6; C. P. Reynolds. 1877-
8-9; B. F. Shane, 1880-1-2; John Potter. 1883; O. C. Shelton. 1884; R. A.
Allison, 1885; G. W. Younkin, 1886; James Clulow. 1887; A. W. Haines,
1888-9. 1899-91; C. W. Shephard. 1892-3-4; M. A. Meagher, 1895; Isaac
Borts. 1896-7; D. R. Martin. 1898-9; H. F. Robinson. 1901-02; A. J. Bruner,
1903 ; L. A. Crull. 1904-5 ; H. W. Munster. 1906 (ten months and R. Breeden
two months) ; J. A. Murray. 1907-8; W. B. Ireland. H. C. Millice. 1910-11.
Services were first held in a log school house fourteen by sixteen feet,
then a frame school building was used until the present church was erected
in 1885. This building is twenty-eight by fort}' feet, a frame structure, and
cost one thousand two hundred dollars. It was dedicated during the pas-
torate of Rev. G. W. Younkin, l)y Rev. J. T. McFarland. It was dedicated
free of deht.
MOl'XT PLEASAXT METHODIST CHURCH.
This church, located three miles southwest of Xewburg. was built in
1 871;. at a cost of one thousand three hundred dollars. The stone used were
hauled about tw enty miles and one team w as lost by overheating in this work.
Anions those who labored hard for the building of this edifice were Tohn
Breedon, Calvin Dickson and Aaron Moxley. The first pastor was Rev. C.
P. Revnolds. whose class had thirty-five meml)ers. This church is a neat
frame building.
The pastors have been: Revs. C. P. Reynolds. 1879; B. F. Shane,
1880-1-2; John Potter, 1883; J. Craig. 1885; S. F. Bishop, A. S. Loveall.
1886-7; A. \\'. Haines. 1888-9; C. W. Shephard. 1892-3-4; M. A. Meagher.
1895; Isaac Borts, 1896-7; D. R. ^Tartin. 1898-9-1900; H. F. Robinson.
1901-02; A. I. Bruner. 1903. with L. A. Crull. a part of the year; L. A
Crull. iC)04-5; H. W. Munster. i()o6 ften months. Richard Breeden two
]C)0 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
months): J. A. Murray. 1907-8 : preachino: suspended in 1909; assigned to
H. C. Millice on Kellogg charge. The present membership is small. Al-
though small, this church has sent out three preachers from its midst. Revs.
D. C. Bevan. Richard Breeden and Silas Ludwick.
The publishers are greatly indebted to Re\ . Henry C. Millice. of Kel-
logg, for his aid in getting facts together for the history of the churches
under his immediate charge and for those whicli he has heretofore been the
pastor of.
RE.VSOXEK METII01U.ST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was formed in 1885 and now enjoys a membership of one
hundred and forty. The following have ser\'ed as pastors : Revs. ]. Clulow.
1885; G. P. VanWye. 1886: M. S. Stryker. 1887-8; G. Younkin. 1889-90-92:
W. H. Gifford, 1893-4; E. E. Doud. 1895-6; D. S. Dunlavey, 1897-8: D. O.
Stiles. 1899-1901 ; W. H. Jones. 1902-3-4: A\'. L. Ery. 1905-6: H. C. Millice.
1907-9: E. S. Seeds. 1910-11.
COLFAX METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The first minister of this faith to preach the gospel at Colfax was Rev.
J. W. Anderson in 1869. followed by RIev. Roby, who continued until 1872.
Re\'. Da\id Shenton succeeded and found here Mr. Eoy and wife. Mrs. Hin-
ton and one other woman of the Methodist faith. So little seemed in store
for the location, he was transferred to Sand Ridge. But again, in Novem-
ber, 1874, this same minister came to Colfax and preached in the Presbyter-
ian church, from John xiv:T5-i7. A class was formed composed of Mr. and
Mrs. Eoy and R. Price and wife. Tn November. 1875. he began to hold ser-
N'ices in West & Weaver's hall, and on December 19th a Sabbath school was
organized. Rev. Osljorne became pastor in 1876, followed in 1877 jjy Re\".
J. A. Smith, and the year following came Re\". D. Thompson.
The church was completed in l'el)ruary. 1878, and dedicated b\- Bishop
Andrews. May 5th. It was a frame structure thirty-two by fiftv feet, costing
about two thousand four hundred dollars. Tn 1878 the churcli had a mem-
ber.ship of eight\- and its present membership is three luuKb'ed and fortv.
The value of church property is al)0ut ten thousand dollars. In 1890 the
church was struck by lightning and the steeple entirely destroyed: the loss,
howe\er, was made good by insurance in force.
The following is believed to be the order in which the various pastors
have served at Colfax: Revs. David Slienton, Osborne. T. A. Smith. D.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. l6l
Thompson, L. Jean, W. A. Chambers, Laidlay, Dr. Vinson, M. Harnerd, A.
E. Griffith, B. F. W. Cozier, C. J. English, R. E. Shaw, M. Stahl, E. H.
Fleisher, H. A. Walbiirn and E. W. F. Requa.
CLYDE METHODIST CHURCH.
During the autumn of 1874 the society erected a church edifice at this
Httle hamlet to meet the demands of the worshipers of the Methodist Episco-
pal faith in the surrounding neighborhood. It was forty by sixty feet in
size, with a neat spire and bell swung in the same, the latter being a donation
from ^^'arren Maxwell, of State Center. The cost of the church was two
thousand five hundred dollars.
FAIRMOUNT METHODIST CHURCH.
The Methodist church at Fairmount was formed about 1877 and in a
year or two a house of worship was erected of frame; it had a steeple and
its cost was one thousand nine hundred and nineteen dollars. It was dedi-
cated September 20, 1878, by Rev. Cullen.
KILLDUFF METHODIST CHURCH.
The Killduff Methodist Episcopal church is located in Buena Vista town-
ship. It was organized in 1883 ^3' Rev. I. O. Kemble and now has a mem-
bership of ninety-seven. The charter members were as follows : Mr. and
Mrs. Andrew Jackson, James Rairdon, Ollie Rairdon, Phoebe Williams. Har-
vey Hall, Barbara Dove, W. L. Dennis, R. A. Smith, Susan A. Smith, James
Carey, ^Mary Carey. John Klein, Hetty Klein, Everet Leslie, Mary Leslie,
Sarah Young, Alice Newell. Frances Hall, John Weeks, Clara Weeks, Will-
iam Doak.
The pastors who have faithfully served this church are: Revs. I. O.
Kemble, J. Craig. S. F. Bishop, A. S. Loveall, D. R. Martin, A. W. McBain.
L. G. Cummins and Jesse A. Monk. The present house of worship was built
of wooden material, with a seating capacity of three hundred and fifty, and
cost three thousand dollars
PRAIRIE CITY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
From the best authority obtainable, this church had its beginning away
back in a log dwelling owned by John Butters, in 1856. Rev. Caleb Bundy
being the preacher. The church was legally organized April 26, 18:^7. The
(11)
1 62 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
organi;^ing minister was Rev. William Clarridge. of Greencastle circuit and
within Iowa conference, .\mong the charter members may be named the
following, though not a full list : Caleb Bundy, Mary Head, Mrs. Caleb
Bundy, S. T. Butters, Margaret Butters, Jacob Main and wife, Mrs. Daniel
]\Iain and daughter, Julia; J. Minchell was class leader and his daughter was
also a member. • •
The following have served as pastors at this point to the present date
(191 1 ), the date following name indicating when they took charge of the
church: Revs. Caleb Bundy, 1856; William Clarridge, 1857; Smith, 1859;
Garrison, i860; Whittier, 1861 : J. D. Moore, 1862; J. G. Eckles, 1864; A.
Badley, 1867: W. A. Richards, 1868; F. M. Slusser, 1869; Sexton, 1871 ; D.
Thompson. 1873; J. W. Snodgrass, 1874; H. ]\I. Sexton, 1877; A. H. Shafer,
1878; H. H. Murphy. 1879; A. ]. Barton, 1881 ; E. W. McDade, 1883: C.
H. Newell, 1885; J. H. Anderson, 1887; A. H. Rusk, 1889: A. M. Shea.
1892; William G. Riheldaffer, 1895; John Cox Hall, 1897; \V. R. Alartin,
1898; B. W. Cozier, 1899; A. T. Jeffry, 1900; C. W. Proctor, 1903; J. R.
Ramsev, 1907; William Mercer, 1908; the last named is still serving this
church.
The first church was erected in 1878; a frame building, thirty by forty
feet, costing one thousand two hundred dollars. The present building was
erected of brick, on the same site as the old structure. This was built in
1884, costing seven thousand dollars. The present parsonage was built in
1893. costing two thousand dollars. It is possible the first church building
was erected a few years earlier than the date here given.
LYNXVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
The ^Methodist church at Lynnville was organized in 1865 by Rev.
Wright. The first members were H. Moody and wife, William Reardon and
wife, D. C. Edwards and wife. Harrison Dryden, A. O. Silver and wife. John
P. Stallings and A. Chambers and wife. In 1871 the society purchased the
old district school house and converted it into a house of worship. The next
church was provided in 1879 at a cost of three thousand five hundred dollars.
The present membership of the Lynnville circuit is one hundred and
twenty-five. This includes the three appointments. The following have been
pastors at this point: Revs. Wright. Rollins. Ditarr, ]\richner, S. R. Fergu-
son, Morey. Shane, C. P. Reynolds, 1881 ; N. Wells, 1883; John Potter,
1884: O. C. Shelton, 1885; R- A. Allison. 1886; F. A. Piper. 1888: David
Philips. 1889: F. C. Demorest, 1893; R. Collier, 1894; A. C. Boyd. 1898; H.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 63
I. Poage. 1899; A. W. Haines, 1901 ; Alfred J. W. Tongue, 1902; Thomas A.
Adams, 1903; A. T. James, 1904; H. C. ]\Iillice, 1905; \V. D. Merryman,
1907: T. B. Hughes, 1908; Frank Pfoutz, 1909.
At this date there are three appointments on the Lynnville circuit :
Bethel church, five miles north of Lynnville; Searsboro, four miles east of
Lynnville; the Lynnville appointment. The Lynnville circuit was formed at
the Iowa conference in September, 1867.
OTHER METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.
The churches in connection with the work at Kilduff are the Grace
church, six miles south of Newton; Mount Zion, nine miles southeast of
Xewton; Pleasant Mew, se\'en miles east of Newton. Killduff was organ-
ized either in 1883 or 1884; Pleasant View in 1868; ]\Iount Zion in 1870;
Grace in 1872. The church in Killduff was erected in 1868 at a cost of two
thousand three hundred dollars; the one at Mount Zion, in 1870, costing two
thousand dollars; Grace, in 1876, costing two thousand four hundred and
sixty-seven dollars. Total membership of all these churches, three hundred
and fifty.
The following is a list of the faithful pastors who have served in about
the order here given, for a greater or less time : Revs. J. H. Boyd, George
Clammor, P. F. Bresee, M. Carrier, A. M. Shafer. G. H. Clark, E. R. Frost,
R. J. Kenyon, S. Hestwood. John Elrod, J. W. Robinson. J. ^L Coates, E. P.
McCliene, Ira O. Kimble, J. Craig, S. F. Bishop, A. S. Loveall, R. Woese,
David Phillips, Elias Handy, A. S. Loveall, D. R. Martin, A. \\\ ^IcBalin,
L. G. Cummins, Jesse A. Monkman.
Of the first church edifice at Mount Zion, it should be stated that it was
destroyed by a cyclone in 1881 and rebuilt the same season.
METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH.
At Sully is located a Methodist Protestant church which was organized
about i860, known first as Lynn Grove church. The charter members of
this society were inclusive of these : J. R. Sparks and family. \\\ R. Mathews
and family, Levi Conover and family. J. R. Mathews and family. Moses Shay
and family. Mrs. A. R. Mathews is the only surviving charter meml>er.
The pastors serving have been as follows: Revs. W. B. Warrington,
\V. F. Price, John F. Rouge. Josiah Sanders. Josiah Selby. G. T. Dewitt, J.
R. Bolton. I. L. Scott. G. M. Scott. G. I. Reeves. E. S. Brown. R. C. F.
164 JASPER COUNTY^ IOWA.
Chambers, A. A. Peterson, T. W. Noble, James Kirkwood, J. H. Schull, P.
A. Keople, J. R. McKaig, S. M. Petty, A. H. Linder, J. W. Payne, A. J.
Green, F. G. Aylmore, A. N. Courtney, the present pastor.
The present church was erected about 1870 and was then locaed about
one-half mile east of the present town of Sully. It was moved about 1883
to its present site within the town incorporation limits of Sully. It is a frame
structure, thirty -two by forty-four feet in size, costing originally two thou-
sand three hundred and seventy dollars.
The only other church of this denomination in Jasper county is the
Hixon Grove, with Rev. J. \A'. ]\Iurphy as present pastor.
At the date of its organization the Sully church was a part of the Oska-
loosa circuit and was known as Lynn Grove. It was organized in a school
house a mile to the east of where Sully now stands. It was later made a part
of the Newton circuit and later still became a self-supporting charge, as it is
today.
NEWTON FREE METHODIST CHURCH.
This society was formed and incorporated October 17, 1892, there being
but six members present at that date. It has grown to number about thirty
now. In 1894 a neat frame chapel was erected on North Market street. In
1896 a parsonage was built, which ^^ ith the church have cost the society four
thousand dollars.
The present officers are : T. C. Ewing, H. E. Rinehart, George Chap-
man, trustees, and Mrs. L. Chapman, secretary.
The following have served as pastors : Revs. J. V. ]Murray, W. E
Boger, W. Chouts. I. H. Gorrill, I. B. Neville. E. I. Lish. I. P. Doud, F. M.
Smith. I. S. Booton, Euke Scripter, E. E. Dalbey, and the present pastor.
Rev. R. B. Ralls.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
Among the first Baptist churches organized in Jasper countv, so far as
is known to the compiler of this chapter, was the one at Newton, in Novem-
ber, 1852, and during that year one was formed at A^andalia, whether before
or after the Newton church is not now known from a lack of records at the
former.
At Newton the society was formed at the court house, November 20th,
by Rev. E. Evans, moderator, and Rev. J. A. Nash, secretary of the council.
The charter members numbered eight. They adopted the "New Hampshire
Declaration of Faith and Church Covenant.'' Meetings were held, at least
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 165
once a month, at the court house. In 1856. through the aid of the Home
Missionary Society, this church secured the services of Rev. J. E. Guild, who
preached every Sabbath in the Presbyterian church. In 1857 they worshiped
in the old academy building, with increased interest. In 1862 the lots on
which the church edifice was later erected were purchased for two hundred
and thirty-four dollars. In 1863 the church, having adopted rules of incor-
poration, began building operations. The society then had only thirty-three
members.
The Sabbath school was not organized until May 14, 1865. On May 12.
1866. the chairman of the building committee, William Blackman, reported
the church as finished, and that the total cost of church and lots was three
thousand three hundred and fifty dollars. It was built of brick and was
thirty by forty feet in size. In June, that year, the parsonage was commenced
and was finished that year, at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars, a
portion of which debt the society authorized the building committee to pay
ten per cent, interest for the money borrowed. This debt hung over the
church like a pall until 1874. In 1878 the membership was eighty-two and
its present membership is one hundred and thirty.
The following have served as pastors of this church : Revs. E. Evans,
from 1852 to 1855; Rev. Orin W'hitcomb, 1855-56; Rev. J. E. Guild, 1856-
57 \ J- Currier, from ]March. i860, to June, 1863; J. Y. Atchison, from Xb-
vember. 1865. to June, 1868; T. M. Bailey, from January. 1869, to October.
1869; S. M. Chamblet. May, 1870, to 1871 : D. M. Mead, from September,
1870, to October, 1871 ; Amos Robinson, from November. 1871, to 1879;
Gilman Parker, one year: N. H. Daily, two years; in 1883. Rev. G. G.
Daugherty became pastor, serving only nine months, and was not satisfactory
to many in the church. The next pastor was Rev. L. F. Compton. in 1885.
remaining two and a half years, and was followed by J. R. Murphy, D. D..
serving two years. In 1891 H. D. Weaver became pastor, serving three
years; in 1894, J. S. Xasmith came from Kansas and took charge of the
church, remaining two years ; he was succeeded by J. E. Lemar, who re-
mained nine months and returned to college ; then came C. F. Lusk, followed
by M. J. Sigler, C. A. Tenny, G. H. Rookns, N. G. Thomas, who is the
present pastor.
As to the present brick edifice, let it be said that it was dedicated in
March, 1901. and cost eight thousand dollars. It stands one block south of
the southwest corner of the court house square. It is modern in ever}- way.
The building committee was as follows: Pastor Irwin Forbes, \\'illiam
Amos, J. H. Fugard. F. D. Brown, William E. Holtz.
l66 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The First Baptist church of Colfax was organized by a band of ten
famihes holding this faith. This was in the spring of 1889, and they strug:-
gled along as best they could until the next year by holding their meetings in
the homes of their members. That year, however, they called Rev. Allen,
who labored with the society about one year. Rev. T. R. Stitt became the
next pastor and under his administration a house of worship was planned. A
member of the church, \\\ A. \\'inder, donated the lot on which the church
now stands. The edifice, which was not erected until 1891, is a frame struc-
ture, costing four thousand five hundred dollars.
The church has grown from its original twenty members to have two
hundred and sixty -one. The pastors have been in the following order : Revs.
Allen, T. R. Stitt, Ferguson, Lilley, Reed, Miller, A. J. McColl, J. B. Banker,
R. S. Wallace. T. W. Evans, J. L. Barton, and the present pastor. Rev. Al-
bert van der Ploeg. Only two of the original members still remain in Colfax,
Thomas Ryan and Mrs. Frankie IMarion.
Sugar Grove Baptist church was organized about 1870 in Sherman town-
ship and struggled along many years, finally providing themselves with a
house of worship, built by popular subscriptions. The society finally run
down and the building was sold to the Free Methodists under a contract that
it should always be used for religious purposes. But not long since the last
named society sold the property to William Baker, who sought to convert the
same into a hog house, on his farm. But before its removal from its original
site, the matter became a matter for the district court to attend to, as it was
involved in an injunction suit brought by E. B. IMoffitt, of the Baptist denom-
ination. The case was tried in the district court at Newton, before Judge
Preston, at the May term, 191 1, at which time it was decided by the court
that the property should not be removed, as it was built by subscriptions of
people in the community who understood that it should always be uSed for
church purposes at that point. The case has been appealed to the supreme
court of the state.
BAPTISTS AT VANDALIA.
From an old record the following is found concerning the earlv Baptist
church at Vandalia:
"A Baptist society was organized in 1852. by Elder J, A. Nash, later of
Des Moines. The first members were Henry Shearer and wife, J, Q. Deakin
and wife, George Anderson and wife, Ira Sllers and wife. The first pastor
was Elijah Evans, who moved to Vandalia about 1854, remaining ten vears.
A building was erected by the society during the first years of its history, and
was the only church building Ijuilt at \'andalia up to 1878."
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. J 6/
METZ BAPTIST CHURCH.
There is a new Baptist organization at the village of Metz, west of New-
ton, and during the spring and summer of 191 1 a neat frame church edifice
was erected and dedicated in May or June.
BAPTIST CHURCH OF MONROE.
The First Baptist church at ^Monroe was formed ]\Iay 5, 1855, at which
date the following assembled : Rev. E. ScarfT. E. O. Town, E. Bockenoogan,
I. Talbott, A. Udell, J. J. Haven, W. Q. Ellis, from Pella, and Rev. A. B.
Leavitt, of Indiana. W. J. Ellis was chosen clerk. The church was then or-
ganized and in March. 1856, preparations were made to build of brick
Among the pastors who have served in this place may be recalled : Revs.
A. \\\ Russell, J. Carrier, up to 1868; G. W. Hertzog, from 1869 to 1875;
J. A. Abbott, to 1877.
In 1878 the membership was about eighty. At this date it is one hun-
dred and eighty. Following Rev. Abbott, came Revs. \\'. C. Pratt, Hertzog,
Wilson, Mills. H. J. Shutts, J. D. Collins, Richmond A. Smith, G. F. Reik-
ing, F. H. \\'ebster, C. O. Johnson, O. H. Sisson, the present pastor, who
came in September, 1910.
In 1885, *oi' the sum of six hundred dollars, the society purchased the
old Congregational church building and used it as it was until 1894, when
they rebuilt it, leaA'ing only one of the side walls. It is now a fine veneered
structure, costing six thousand four hundred dollars. It seats comfortably
five hundred. It stands on the east side of the public square and has a fine
belfr\% bell, baptistry and circular pews, all in modern style.
It should be here recorded, however, that this was not the first Baptist
societv in this neighborhood, for one was forn-ted ^larch 3, 1850. At a meet-
ing held on the day just mentioned, met Elder George Bond, and Warren D,
Everett, as secretary. Those who united with a new church were : Hartwell
and Rebecca Hayes, John and Polly Woody, James D. and Diadema Putnam,
Tarlton P. Duncan, Lucy Horton and Polly ]\Iangrum. This society was
named "Harmony Church." Elder Evans preached in 1854 and in 1855
the church increased in its membership, but the Republican political party
having arisen, dissensions of a political nature aroSe. coupled with other
minor differences, caused the church to go do\\ n. The newer members asked
to withdraw, but this was not granted. A meeting was called and the latter
1 68 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
membership voted to take their letters and they formed a new church at Mon-
roe. The old original membership revived the old church and removed the
place of meeting to the Woody neighborhood, where it ever afterward con-
ducted its church services.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
One of the earliest churches, in the city of Newton is the Presbyterian,
formed in 1854. Among the pioneer members were C. J. Housel and wife,
G. W. Chambers and wife and a Mr. Martin and wife.
This society was incorporated March i. 1859. with J. S. Hunter, John
C. Wilson and Thomas McCord as trustees. The house of worship was
built at a cost of six thousand dollars in 1865 ; it was of brick, thirty by sixty
feet in size. It was dedicated February 23, 1868, the sermon being deliv-
ered by Rev. W. R. IMarshall, of Marion, Iowa. In 1878 the membership
was seventy-five. Its present membership is placed at two hundred.
The pastors who have served this congregation include the following :
Revs. Jones. L. B. Crittenden, John Seele, E. S. Vail, George L. Little,
James Agnew, John X. Wilson, E. L. Williams, Isaac Whittemore, R. R.
Westcott, David Brown, Edwin J. Rice, R. F. Chambers, 1898 to 1906; W.
N. Hess, 1906 to 1908; Theodore M. Balcoff, 1908 to 1909: George Furniss,
May 22, 1910, and still pastor.
The present church edifice was built in 1889, dedicated December 22d,
free of all debts. The present valuation of the church property, including
the manse, is fourteen thousand dollars.
The present officers are S. G. Russell, clerk; H. S. Morrison. A. T.
Guthrie, T. G. Bryant, C. W. Winn, Benjamin Jones, elders ; C. W. Jarvis,
J. I. Cunningham, Percy R. McCord. James Davidson, T. G. Bryant and
Lyman A. Russell (treasurer), trustees.
THE COLFAX rUESBYTERIAX CHURCH.
At Colfax the Presbyterian formed their church as the first church so-
ciety in the place The petition was dated April 6, 1868, and was signed by
J. T. and Salina Lamb, R. N. and Lizzie Stewart, W. H. Bonnell, E. O. Par-
ker, G. W. Parker, Jane A. Parker. James and Sarah L. McCracken, Levi
^IcCracken. and Sarah C. Mytinger. Elders J. T. Lamb and R. N. Stewart
were chosen September 20th. The church was erected in i868. at a cost of
one thousand two hundred dollars. In 1884. a new church edifice was erected
at a cost of five thousand four hundred dollars.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. T69
The present membership of this church is one hundred and eighty. The
various pastors here have included the following : Revs. Thompson, Wilson,
Agnew, Gordon, Hammer, F. A. Shearer, 1879; S. N. Vail, 1886; Charles
R. Hunt, 1890; William E. Knight, 1892; D. Wallace McMillen, 1899;
Henry Ouickenden, 1899; John McLinn, 1902; Scott W. Smith, 1904; W.
C. Brewer, 1905; D. D. Buchanan, 1906; N. R. Miles. 1907, and still serving.
The society was incorporated May 10, 1868, by E. O. Parker, J. M.
Kennedy, W. H. Bonnell, R. N. Stewart, J. L. Lamb, with W. D. Ballantyne
as moderator. J. R. Rodgers and R. N. Stewart are the only pioneers left.
During the last four years the church has put in new cement steps to
both entrances to the church building; put in a basement; replaced old and
added new windows. The members give an average of about eleven dollars
each to support the church, some as high as one hundred and twenty-five
dollars.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
The United Presbyterian church at Monroe was an early organization
in this county. It dates its history from before 1855, and the organization
was perfected in 1861 and now has a membership of sixty-three. It built a
frame church building in early Civil-war days which, with remodeling and
repairs, has served until now. It is probably the oldest church in use in Jas-
per county, and is in fine condition. Its surrounding grounds are kept in
fine shape and the main structure is surmounted with a neat belfrv and vesti-
bule. It is located southeast from the business portion of the citv.
A WONDERFUL COUNTRY CHURCH.
The Palo Alto United Presbyterian church was formed in December.
1870 — really after the church building had lieen completed, for that was
dedicated in December and was started in February of that year, by a mere
handful of neighbors of this particular religious faith. In 1869. preaching
was held at the old court house and at the Wild Cat school house, five miles
south of Newton, and in 1870 there was some talk early in the year of erect-
ing a place for worship. Finally, five families, the Hills, Reeses, Matchetts,
McCartneys and Kellers, organized themselves into a church. Pioneer Robert
M. Hill, after consulting with the preacher. Rev. Johnson, at Newton, com-
menced to circulate a sub.scription paper for the purpose of raising the neces-
sary funds. He was successful in getting one thousand dollars pledged in
lyO JASPER COUNTYj IOWA.
one day in material and cash. Seven hundred dollars of this amount was
donated by members of the above mentioned families, the sums ranging from
twenty-five dollars to one hundred dollars each. In all the house cost about
two thousand dollars. It was, after some parleying, decided to build on the
opposite side of the road from the little country cemetery that had been
established a few years prior. The land was really not worth over fifteen dol-
lars per acre, but the owner, a Catholic, wanted sixty dollars per acre for the
tract, which amount was finally given him. This church and cemetery is
just south of the present homestead farm of R. M. Hill. Mrs. Badger was
the lady who. carrying out the wishes of her deceased husband, paid for the
ground and finally made a clear deed to the trustees of the newly organized
church society. These first trustees were Messrs. Amos B. Rees. Henry C.
Richardson and Joseph ]\Iiller. The structure was commenced February 14,
1870. The timbers were drawn from Adamson's grove and much of it was
hewed out from the forest kings by hand. A carpenter named Conle} , of
Newton, was engaged to build the cliurch, the ^^•ork being largel}- performed
by the men of the church. The ladies furnished dinners for the workmen,
both at the timber and at the building site. All but the price of two barrels
of lime for the foundation had been contributed. \\'hen Fourth of July
came round they held a rousing celebration and it was visited b\- many from
outside, including many from Newton. The ladies made a handsome profit
on articles sold on the Fourth and the first to occupy the new church was the
Robert M. Hill family, of father, mother and three children. They stayed
the night after the celebration in order to watch and care for dishes and pro-
visions that had been left over from the feast. They were joined in the early
niorning by ^Irs. Badger, who walked from her farm home and took break-
fast in the church w itli the Hills and they then counted over the proceeds of
the celebration with thankful hearts. This church was not erected without
much sacrifice. State Treasurer Rankin had been selected to orate on that
Fourth (1870), but not coming, he sent a twenty-dollar bill for the use of
the church. One hundred dollars more was sent by the Church Extension
Society and another hundred from Mrs. Hill's old home church in Linn
county, Iowa.
The date of real church organization was October 27, 1870. It was
not fully perfected, however, until in December of that year, when fifteen
members were taken into the church. At that time, the elder was Robert
McCartney ; trustees, Amos B. Rees and Henry C. Richardson.
By the excellent financial management of Robert M. Hill (still living),
ihe church was dedicated by Rev. William Johnson, free of any debts. The
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I7I
first person to be baptized here was David J. Matchett, at the second meeting
held in the new building. Weekly prayer meetings were established "to con-
tinue Wednesday evenings, perpetually." A Sabbath school was early formed
and has been kept up ever since.
Rev. William Johnson was to be the pastor, but had a call to preach in
Indiana, and wrote the church officers ("on the wing") that he had to leave
them and could not accept the work here, but wanted to frequently "hear
from the church that dwelt solitary in the woods.''
Among the preachers who served as supplies, for a longer or shorter
period, may be recalled Revs. Joseph Boyd. Richard Turnbull, Hugh F. Wal-
lace, R. C. Wyatt. A. J. Graham, A. McCartney, J. Taylor, J. F. Tate, C. T.
McCanaghan, F. K. Martin, S. M. Black, H. McHatton. R. Gray, S. Mc-
Arthur. The last served until the call of the regular pastor. Rev. E. S. Mc-
Michael, who had charge both here and at Xewton till 1873, ^vhen Newton
was set off into a church by itself. Rev. ^IcMichael served in all from 1872
to 1879. and was followed by Rev. J. A. Ferguson, who served till 1882, and
then came Rev. J. A. McCalmount to 1889. The next was Rev. W. A.
Campbell, 1890-92; in the first twenty-five years of the church's history there
had been twelve supply and thirteen stated pastors "settled." Since then
there have been Revs. John Ferguson, E. F. Gillis, each seven years' pastor-
ate, and now the church is "supplied."
The present total meml>ership is about sixty. At one date, this church
had sent out and in acti^■e work sixteen members who were teachers, college
students, preachers and lawyers, showing the wonderful influence for good
citizenship, education and Christianity that had sprung from this little coun-
try church. ^liss Kate A. Hill, daughter of Robert ^I. Hill and wife, has
been a missionary to India for fifteen years. A better family and church
record can scarcely be found in the state than this one. Miss Hill is one of
five sisters, all of whom were teachers. She is building up a thirty thousand
dollar school for girls in India, to be named for her. Another, reared in this
church, is Avery Fales, doing home missionary work in New Mexico.
Robert M. Flill, one of the founders of this church, worked at day wages
for a few shillings per day, to pay for the few evergreens and willow trees
which now grace the front yard of this beautiful country church. These now
tall, stately trees will doubtless stand in their waving green long years after
the death of the devout man who. in the prime of his manhood, planted them,
a living, growing monument to his rare devotion to the cause he had so
sacrificed for.
172 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
NEWTOX UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The United rresbyterian church at Newton has a history running along
the same lines as the one in Palo Alto, just mentioned. It sprang from this
parent church in 1873. and they worshiped in the Presbyterian church until
they purchased the old Universalist church building. After a number of years
they tore this down and erected in 1897 their present neat church on the cor-
ner of Olive and McDonald streets, the old site of the original Universalist
building. Tlie same pastors have served both this and the Palo Alto church
for all of these eventful years. Just now they have no pastor. The present
membership is something over one hundred and seventy.
UNITED r.RETIIREN IN HICKORY GROVE TOWNSHIP.
This churcli was formed in 1872, organized by Rev. G. P. Fisher in
Hickory Grove township, where there is also another of the same denomina-
tion. The one now written of is known as Hickory Gro\'e, and the other, a
history of which follows this, is known as the Union Chapel. Hickoiy Grove
church now has a membership of about sixty. The only remaining charter
member of this society is Mrs. Priscilla Burroughs.
The building at Hickory is frame, thirty-six by forty feet, and in the
beginning cost one thousand five hundred dollars, but in later times has been
remodeled and added to, at an expense of one thousand five hundred dollars
more.
UNION CHAPEL UNITED BRETHREN.
This societ\ was organized in section 5. Hickory township, sometime
early in the eighties. Its edifice cost, originally, one thousand three hundred
dollars. It has a present membership of about fifty. One of the members
has kindly furnished the following facts concerning this society :
In the eighties, sometime after the school house was built on section 5,
Hickor\' Grove township, the United Brethren organized a class and the
preacher from the Hickory Grove church of the same denomination, preached
at the school house in the afternoon, once in two weeks. The members at'
that date were as follows: Daniel Benedict and wife, Hiram Benedict and
wife, Dewitt Benedict and wife. Thomas Doane and wife. Nathaniel Welch
and wife.
The pastors who have served here are the same as served at the Hickory
Grove church, and included these, but the list is incomplete : Revs. Durfee,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 73
George Rose. George \'andeventer, W. T. Dawson, Frank Butley, A. B. C.
Dewatter, R. L. Purely, H. E. Slattery, D. C. and A. M. Tolbett, E. A.
Elliott. L. L. Nichols, under whom the church was erected; Revs. L. "L.
Nichols, 1898; W. A. King; 1899, W. A. King; 1900. A. T. Wright; 1901-
02, W. Stevenson; 1903. E. C. Wolcott; 1904, E. C. McCurdy; 1905-06, N. F.
Hicks; 1907-8, C. Violett; 1909, C. E. McCurdy; 1910, R. P. Roberts; 191 1.
C. C. Hobson.
The present building was erected in 1869-70, as above referred to, and
tion 5, township 81, range 17. It is twenty-six by forty feet, is built with
arched ceiling and is beautifully frescoed and has modern seats.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.
The Congregational church at Xewton was formed in September, 1856.
Rev. J. R. Mershon was the moderator at the organizing meeting. The first
membership was as follows : C. B. and Alary W. Eels, Robert and Marinda
Scott, Edwin and Ruth Ann Scott. Chester and Henrietta Seymour. Elhan-
nan Winslow and wife, P. E. and Matilda J. Charrand, Lemuel Scoville, J.
R. Mershon, Elisha Woodruff and Mrs. A. A. Stevens.
In 1859 a church was built at the cost of two thousand" five hundred dol-
lars ; it was thirty by fifty feet in size, with an anteroom and was surmounted
by a bell. In 1878 this church had a membership of one hupdred and fifty.
Its membership in the spring of 191 1 was four hundred and thirteen. The
present beautiful church building was built in 1892, at a cost of fifteen thou-
sand dollars.
The pastors who have served this church include the following : Re^■s.
E. P. Kimball, E. N. Bartlett, from July, 1858, to December, i860; E. D.
Jones, from February, 1861, to February, 1863; George H. Beecher. from
August. 1863. to May, 1864; H. E. Barnes, from June. 1864, to July, 1868;
E. N. Bartlett, from September, 1868, to September, 1869; W. L. Bray, from
January, 1870, to September, 1870; D. H. Rogan. from September, 1871. to
August. 1874; R. P. Foster, from May, 1875, to March, 1876; E. D. Eaton,
from November, 1876, to December, 1879; J. E. Bissell, from July, 1884, to
1890; C. H. Harrah, from September. 1890, to May, 1897; B. C. Baum-
gardner, from May, 1897. to May. 1900; J. \\'. Cowan, from August. 1900.
to October, 1901 ; G. L. Smith, from March, 1902, to May, 1906; A. B.
Appleby, from September, 1906, to 1910; George H. Kemp, from November.
1 9 10, the present pastor.
174 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The Congregational church of Kellogg is among the oldest societies of
that place. It dates its organization from February, 1868. when a council
convened for that purpose, made up of the following gentlemen : Rev.
H. E. Barnes, of Newton; Rev. T. G. Brainard, of Grinnell. and Rev. S. J.
Whitton, of the old W'ittemberg church. The pulpit was supplied from Grinnell
and other towns until the call of the first pastor. Rev. A. Lyman, of Sheffield,
Illinois, who remained a number of years, doing excellent work. In June,
1869, several members purchased the old Union meeting house and fitted it
up for themselves as a church home. In 1878 the society had a membership
of about sixty. Up to that time the pastors had been Revs. A. Lyman, R.
Hassell and H. S. Thompson. Year after year the church grew and pros-
pered until by removal from the community and by deaths the society finally,
in 1909, had to give up its support of a pastor and soon the Sunday school
also went down. The society now only has a few members, who deeply re-
gret the fact that services in their own church can not be maintained ; how-
ever, with true Christian spirit, they willingly worship with some one of the
other orthodox churches in the town.
In May. 1889, the church dedicated a new frame church. Dr. Magoun,
of Grinnell College, preached the dedicatory sermon. Rev. Edward Allen
was serving as pastor of the church at that time. Deacon William F. Pringle
was a deacon and treasurer, as well as church clerk for many years, even up
to within a short time before he was called hence by death.
The last pastor here was Rev. J. Franklin Smith, who ceased his labors
in March, 1909, a few months ahead of the time for which he had really
contracted for.
THE PRAIRIE CITY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregational church at Prairie City was formed in ]\Iarch, 1868.
It was accomplished through the untiring labors of Rev. C. H. Eaton. The
constituent members were E. Adkins and wife, Sarah Fugard. Elijah Elliott
and wife, John Hume and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Sladen, Mrs. Bidwell and
possibly a few more.
The building committee, in September. 1868, consisted of E. Adkins
and C. H. Eaton. The first building was finished in the spring of 1869, and
dedicated June 20th that year. Its cost was about two thousand dollars. In
1877 the recorded membership of this society was fortv-five. Its present
membership is not large, but they are all devout church workers.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 75
The present Iniilding was erected in 1869-70. as above referred to. and
is of the New England type of "meeting houses" so called there. A basement
is being provided for the church now.
The following have served as the pastors of this church : Revs. C. H.
Eaton. C. C. Harrah. J. Allender, William J. Smith. Charles Slater, B. F.
Sherman. J- W. Ferner, two or more years; Rev. Sharpley. about the same
length of pastorate: then for four years there was no pastor; the next was
Rev. H. M. Skeels, who held meetings for a month and sent Rev. Houston
for pastor and he remained one year and was followed by Rev. W. W. Hazen.
for three years: then came Rev. J. J- ^litchell, who served seven years, and
was followed by Rew W. C. Barber : next was Rev. R. B. Hall, followed by
Rev. George Deakin and Rev. A. A. Thorn. The present pastor. Rev.
William C. North, was called in 1909.
MOXROE CONGREGATIOXAL CHURCH.
At ^lonroe the Congregational church was formed in 1866, with about
twenty-five members, under the ministration of Rev. Thomas ^Merrill, of
Newton, who remained as pastor during the first year's history. Among the
first to unite with this society may be recalled the names of Theodore
Bethel and wife, ^Mr. Holdridge and wife and W. H. Langan and wife.
The same year the church was built, twenty-eight by fortv feet in size,
with a tower and l^ell swung within the same. This building was erected on
the east side of the square, on ^^lonroe street.
The pastors have included these : Revs. S. N. Crout, two years : C. C.
Harrah. one year: C. N. Bingham, four years; Rev. C. C. Harrah returned
in 1876 and served several years.
The church finally went down for lack of support and the building was
bought by the Baptist society, who have remodeled and re-built it and now
occupy the same.
SULLY COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH.
This is one of the latest churches formed in Jasper county, the date of
its organization being Februarv- i. 191 1. Tt has a membership of about
fifty persons. The constituent members were F. G. Ayhnore and wife. Mr.
and Mrs. F. G. Sherman. Mr. and Mrs. Goat. Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Forsythe.
Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Forsythe. F. M. Sherman, ^^r. and Mrs. Henry Wells. Mr.
and Mrs. E. Awtrv, Mr. and ]\Irs. C. T Roten. Mr and Mrs. John Bnmner,
176 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Haines, ^Iv. and Mis. P. A. Kling, Mrs. G. Youngkin,
Mr. and Mrs. Ch-de Mitchell. Mrs. D. Mitchell, Mrs. John Holdsworth, Mrs.
E. J. Haines, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Haines, Mrs. Hammer.
The only pastor the society has ever had is the present one, Rev. Fred
G. Ayhnore. The trustees are William Talbot, F. M. Sherman, A. C. Boat
(treasurer), F. G. Sherman (clerk).
A neat church edifice was erected at a cost of about one thousand five
hundred dollars, size thirty by forty-five feet, on the north half of lots Nos.
I, 2 and 3, block 16, Sully.
NEWBURG CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
This society was formed ]\larch 28, 1880. During the winter of 1879-
80, Rev. F. H. ^lagoun, of Gilman, preached at Newburg school house.
Several persons were converted to this faith and hence a church was formed
at once. H. H. Morris, A. H. Palmer and J. R. Dewhurst were appointed
a committee to send letters missive to the churches at Toledo, Chester, Grin-
nell, Kellogg, Gilman and ^Nlarshalltown, also to Rev. C. H. Eaton, President
G. F. Magoun, Rev. J. M. Chamberlain and Prof. S. G. Barnes. Other meet-
ings were held and articles of faith and covenant were adopted and several
persons presented themselves for admission as members by letter and by pro-
fession of faith.
On April 8, 1880, the council, composed of pastors and delegates from
the invited churches, and Rev. G. F. Magoun and C. H. Eaton of Grinnell,
assembled and proceeded to organize the church with the following members :
George H. [Morris, from First Congregational church, Grinnell; Howard
H. Morris, from First Congregational church. Grinnell; Mrs. Mary O.
Morris, from First Baptist church, Tiskilwa, Illinois ; A. H. Palmer, from
First Congregational church, Gilman, Iowa; Mrs. Abi Palmer, from First
Congregational church. Gilman ; William Parker, from First Congregational
church, Gilman; Mrs. Hannah J- Parker, from First Congregational church.
Gilman ; James R. Dewhurst. from First Congregational church, Gilman ;
James R. Wood, from Methodist Episcopal church, Gilman; ]\Irs. Elizabeth
Royer, from First Congregational church, Chester; Mrs. Olive N. ISTewton,
from United Brethren church. Hickory Grove; Harrison Newton, on pro-
fession ; John Newcomer, on profession ; Mrs. Laura Newcomer, on profes-
sion; Mrs. Lucy T. Morgan, on profession; Miss Lottie E. Sisco, on pro-
fession; Miss Emma Kate Williar, on profession; Mrs. Laurette Green, on
profession; Mrs. Elizabeth Wheelan, on profession.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. . I//
A church was erected on lots 9 and 10, block 2, of Xewburg, costing
three thousand dollars. It is thirty-two by forty-eight feet and built of lum-
ber. There are now about forty members in the church. The following
have served as pastors :
Revs. C. H. Eaton, 1880-81: F. H. Magoun. 1881-2; W. L. Coleman,
August 1882, to July. 1884; G. M. D. Slocum, 1884 to 1887; A. J. Houston,
June. 1887, to latter part of 1891 ; C. L. Hammond, March, 1898, to De-
cember. 1903: G. R. Chambers, April, 1894. to 1907; H. L. Wissler, Januarv,
1898, and still pastor.
WITTEMBURG C0XGREG.\TI0N AL CHURCH.
Wittemburg Congregational church of Newton township was organized
in 1865 by members of the Free Presbyterian church and now enjoys a
membership of ninety-seven members. The size of the edifice is thirty-six
b\- sixty feet, its cost being about two thousand dollars. The parsonage
and three acres of land are now valued at two thousand, five hundred dol-
lars.
The following have served as pastors : Revs. David Crage, S. Whiton,
White. DeBois. S. Mills, J. J. Mitchell, W. M Dunham, E. Durant, S. A.
Arnold, A. J. Benton, R. F. Lavender.
To go into the origin of this church and society it will be well to in-
troduce the reader to Rev. Thomas ]<klerrill and Richard Sherer and others
from southern Ohio, all members of the Free Presbyterian denomination
and anti-slavery men who settled in 1853 in Newton township, this county.
They believed God had created all men free and equal and many a poor
black man and woman (runaway slaves) found refuge and help from them
in the days of Jasper county's "underground railroad." They also founded
Wittemberg Manual Labor College in this township, an account of which
W. O. McElroy has kindlv written elsewhere in this volume. Rev. Merrill
taught and preached for this society until 1862, when he enlisted in Company
B, Fifth Iowa Infantry Regiment, as its chaplain. Rev. Poage filled his ])ul-
pit while he was at the front fighting and praying for the cause of the
L'nion. After his return he became a home missionary, preaching to the people
of Wild Cat Grove, Newton, Rushville. etc., and the strong moral influence
he threw into the community is felt even to this day.
The Civil war having forever settled the slavery question, which had
divided the main Presbyterian lx)dy before the war. and the fact that there
were but few Presbvterian churches in Iowa, one night at a church meeting
(12)
IjS- JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
at the suggestion of pioneer John P. Beatty, of the Free Presbyterian body
here, and \\ho still lives at Newton, honored and revered by all who ap-
preciate good old gentlemen, a Congregational church was organized in
1865, as shown above. /\.t first the membership was forty-seven.
Owing to the fact of this being an early church of this denomination
and the circumstances imder Avhich it was formed, it may be of interest to
note who the charter members were, their names following :
Samuel Failor, Mrs. Lucy Skiff,, ^Irs. Berrie Dodge, L. A. Dungan,
John P. Beatty, Mrs. E. K. J. Beatty, John M. King, Julia M. King, M. V.
Calhoun. \\'. S. Calhoun. Albert Harrah, Mrs. E. M. King, Mrs. Sarah
Bosworth, William Bosworth. Mrs. Margaret Woods, William Woods, W.
N. Dungan, Mrs. B. Dungan, Dorcas Hanger, George Hanger, Mrs. Abi-
gail Hanger. Phoebe Condit, Mrs. J. V. Crawford, Sarah Crawford, James
R. Crawford, Mrs. Mary Jackson, Thomas Vanatta, Rebeca Sherer, Martha
Wade, D. C. Work. :\Iaggie E. Work, George F. Work, William Work,
]\Iargaret Work, Maria Banks. N. E. Baxter, James R. Poage, Harriet E.
Poage, Bell ^^^ Poage, Jane R. Poage, George L. Poage, L. E. Merrill. S.
E. Merrill. E. J. Merrill.
Too much can not well he recorded of the good accomplished by Rev.
]Merrill and his excellent, devoted family. The daughters, Lucy and Sarah,
were fine singers, the former ha\'ing a sweet, strong soprano voice, while
her sister had a fine contralto. Those days there were no hymn books and
the minister read the lines, after which all the congregation joined in sing-
ing the same. The people came from many miles around on horseback
on foot and w ith big lumber wagons. They had no roads, but traveled along
trails along the higher divides. No matter what might be the weather,
the meeting house was always full.
Sarah Merrill, the eldest daughter above named, edited a college-church
paper, giving the lecture and weekly news of the community.
CHURCH OF CHRIST (dISCIPLES).
This denomination is quite strong in Jasper county, having in 1905
four congregations with a total membership of sixteen hundred.
The first church of this denomination to organize within the county was
at Lynnville, in 1857. It was then styled in this section of the country as
the "New Light" church. This organization was perfected by Elders James
Ouillan and John A. Killim. As near as can now be learned, the original
members included Boston Finders and wife, IVIatthew Sparks and wife, and
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 79
possibly three others. Soon afterwards, Mrs. Mayfield, John R. Sparks, Jr.,
and Stephen J. Sparks united.
During the Civil war, many having- enlisted in the defense of their coun-
try's flag, the church became almost extinct, but at the close of the great
civil strife it was at once revived, nearly all the male membership having
been fortunate enough to return to their homes. In 1878 the record shows
the church to have enjoyed a membership of about one hundred.
CHURCH OF CHRIST AT NEWTON.
At Ne\\ton the first church of this sect to organize was formed in
1864 by Elders N. A. McConnell and Allen Hickey, with twenty-six mem-
bers. T. F. Brown and C. M. Davis were chosen elders and William Broth-
ers, Alvah Viles and William N. Harrah, deacons.
At a meeting held in November, 1867, it was decided to build. At
least twenty-three members wanted to and signed a petition to do so, but
others of the church refused to co-operate and withdrew from membership.
This weakened the church, and in fact it did not fully recover from the
secession until 1869, when, by the earnest efforts of Elder Richards, nearly
all of the seceders were induced to return to the flock. During the winter
of 1869-70 occurred a genuine revival, by which many were added to the
church. After this protracted meeting the matter of building was taken up
and the plans carried forward and the house of worship was completed two
years later. This house cost three thousand one hundred dollars and was
thirty-six by fifty-six feet in size. The dedication sermon was preached by El-
der Hill, of Des Moines, February 25. 1872. The structure was of frame and
served the congregation until the present fine edifice was built in 1893, at
a cost of twelve thousand dollars. It is a frame structure, built in modern
style and well furnished. The present membership of this church is three
hundred and seventy-five, having grown from a charter membership of
twenty-three. The 191 1 officers of the church are: Elders, E. C. Ogg,
James Lee, A. Dennis; deacons, C. H. Holden, Lee Hayes, John Hews.
Frank Morrow, A. Green, Frank Starrett, P. C. Daly: clerk, E. C. Smith:
treasurer, Mrs. Jennie Ogg; chorister, ^Irs. Laura Reeves: trustees, George
Hows, James Lee, E. C. Ogg.
The various pastors include the following in about the order given :
Revs. Blackwell, Gay, Roach, Dennis, Johnson, three years: S. B. Letson.
one year; J. K. Cornell, four years; B. F. Alesworth, three years; S. J.
Martin, one vear and a half; L. C. Pace, one year; J. C. Hanna, three years;
l8o JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
J. H. Freeman, one year; W. H. Betts, one year; E. F. Leake, present pastor,
having served in all eight years.
In the country this denomination has churches at Baxter, Kellogg,
Galesburg, Prairie City, Colfax, besides the N^ewton church.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT COLFAX.
«
The Christian church at Colfax was formed in February, 1890, by Rev.
Wilson and about a dozen members, but has grown to a society numbering
two hundred and forty-three now. The original members were Wesley
Jordan. Lavina Jordan. Cora Jordan, C. A. Dotson, Mariam Dotson, and
daughter. Sadie D. Hurst; W. B. Wells, Amanda Wells, Emily Myhill,
Flora Robinson, F. A. Smith, Jennie Smith, Elihu Wiley, Nancy Wiley,
Walter Hall. Ann Penn, C. D. Snow.
Howard Street chapel was erected in 1891, and dedicated January 10,
1892. Its cost was seven thousand dollars.
The first pastor was A. ]\I. Haggard, now dean of Drake University. Other
ministers have been B. O. Aylsworth, E. A. Ott, H. L. Laye, O. H. KHng,
J. H. Ragan. W. S. Stairs, P. H Popplewell, Lyle De Jarnett, Vernon Har-
rington, Gertrude Harmon. Jesse Bader.
The present officers are S. A. Potts, A. \\'hitehead, elders ; W. T. Davis,
Charles A. Butler, B. E. Copeland, John Price, Dr. Edward Bowker, George
T. Robinson, Elton Briggs, deacons ; Mrs. Chloe C. Dawson, Mrs. Mattie
Penquite, Mrs. Rose M. Scott, Mrs. Bell Weirick, Miss IMinnie Tripp, Mrs.
Maggie Price, deaconesses. The church clerk is W. E. Brown.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF KELLOGG.
At Kellogg the Christian denomination first organized themselves into
a church society, located at the Saum's school house, in Buena Vista town-
ship, June 26, 1870, with sixteen members. The first officers were: Jesse
Reed, Luther Foot. G. W. Close, elders ; S. A. Saum, Robert Ludwick,
deacons.
In 1875 the society moved to Kellogg, and in the spring of 1877 a
church building thirty-eight by forty-five feet in size was erected at a cost
of one thousand five hundred dollars. It was dedicated June 23, 1877. In
1878 the church had a membership of seventy-five. Its present membership
is one hundred and fifty.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. l8l
An addition to the old clnircli was made later, at a cost of one thousand
dollars. The following have been the pastors of this society : Elders, T. F.
Brown, Ellis and J. E. Gaston, Elder Dyer, D. R. Lucas, J. B. Vantor, Rev.
Roach, Rev. McConnell, M. S. Johnson, T. F. Odimreller, A. M. Haggard,
Rev. Mclntyre, Rev. Roby, and C. F. Ladd.
PRAIRIE CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
It is not certain when this church was organized, but it was not later
than 1857 or 1858. This was through the efforts of Elder J. P. Roach.
In an historic account of this branch of the Church of Christ, compiled in
1877-8, we find the following record made:
"Elder White, the present pastor, states that when he began his labors
here the society had erected a frame building — this was in 1868. He also
found members as follows : J. H. Elliott and wife. Reason Moore, Lemuel
Doud and wife, Jesse, Frazier and wife, Morris McKeever, Dr. Adams,
Charles Norris and wife, and probably J. W. Deweese. Mr. White undertook
to carry on a revival and succeeded in bringing some twenty persons into the
church. The building was completed in 1869, and the dedication held, at which
Prof. G. T. Carpener, of Oskaloosa, preached. The building cost three
thousand, five hundred dollars; is thirty-four by fifty-one feet in size, and is
provided with a bell." This same church bell is still in use, calling the church-
goers together.
Notwithstanding the population was fluctuating, the organization con-
tinued to grow in strength and influence and the regular services were
always maintained.
During the pastorate of L. B. Ames the present parsonage was erected
at a cost of one thousand dollars.
The year 1893 marked an important epoch in the history of the church,
as on November 6th the handsome new brick edifice was dedicated. The
cost of the new church was seven thousand one hundred sixty dollars and
fifty cents. B. A. Wilkinson served as pastor at this time. The dedica-
tory sermon was delivered by F. M. Rains of Cincinnati.
During its organization the following have served as pastors of the
church : D. R. Ellis, James E. Gaston. George T. Carpenter, John C. White,
James P. Roach, P. Donan, J. C. White, a second term; John ^,L Crocker.
Henry D. Dennis, D. C. Morris, D. R. Dungan, Joel Brown, Allen Hickey.
Lucius B. Ames. B. A. Wilkinson, Luther Moore, J. A. Bennett, C. A. Grav.
152 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Charles E. Wells, M. L. Anthony, A. L. Zink, H. C. Strawn, G. H.
Kemp. A. B. Cornell, twenty- four in all. The following evangelists have
conducted services here : E. R. Cotton, Thomas Brown, ]\Iarion Boyles,
H. P. Dyer, Alec. AlcK\eever, Clark Braden, Allen Hickey, George F. Devol,
A. B. Moore, Lee B. Myers, Bruce Brown, J. A. Bennett, Matthew Small,
C. C. Davis, A. B. Leverett, Rev. Pickett.
Besides the pastors and the evangelists, tlie burden of the church has
been upheld by manv faithful men and women who have prayed, paid and
sacrificed to bring the congregation to its present efficiency.
Since the organization, seven hundred and eighty-three members have
been enrolled and at present there are two hundred and twenty-five members.
UNIVERSALIST CHURCH.
This denomination has never been very strong in the west, especially
in Iowa and in Jasper county.
At Newton, right after the close of the Civil war, in 1865, such a so-
ciety was formed with but a small membership. The following year its
numbers had increased to that extent that it was thought best to build for
themselves a house of worship. They bought a lot with an unfinished
church building upon it, for which they paid one thousand dollars. This
building was finished to the taste of the new society at a cost of two thou-
sand dollars more, making the whole property cost three thousand dollars.
It was situated at the corner of Olive and McDonald streets and still stands.
Up to 1876 the ministers who preached for this society included Revs.
Edmonds, J- B. Gilman, Woodbury, Nash and Sage. About 1874 Rev.
Rogan, a former pastor of the Congregational church, having modified his
radical opinions, resigned his charge and entered into other work for a time,
but in 1876 or 1877 he began to hold meetings in the Universalist church,
which were attended by several members of the Congregationl faitli. This
led up to a unity of organization among liis hearers, who joined in the plan
of employing him as settled pastor.
The trustees in 1878 were recorded as O. G. Drew, Henry Krisner.
Albert Harrah, S. N. Lindley and John Long. .After vears of struggle
this society went down and many of its members found a chiUTli home in
the Newton Congregational church. The Universalist building was sold
to the United Presbyterian society whose church now stands where stood
the old church.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 83
CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF JASPER COUNTY.
In the early history of the county, services for this denomination were
held every six months by Father Brazil, of St. Ambrose church of Des
Moines, at the house of Michael ]\Iorring^, also at the residence of James
Hickey. Finally, in 1868, a church building was erected a short distance
southwest from the Rock Island depot in Newton, which continued as a
place of worship until the erection of the present Sacred Heart church,
which was dedicated in 1896. A rectory was erected about thirty years ago
by Father Fogarty. The present membership of the Newton church is
about twenty-eight families. Attached to Newton parish are the missions
at Monroe and other points in the county, while at Colfax and Valeria a
priest has charge of the work at that point and at Colfax. There is a neat
chapel at both the last named towns. During the history of the church at
Newton there have been fifteen pastors, including Father Braswin and the
present pastor, Rev. Father Thomas McCann. The latter is a native of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was educated in the parochial schools of
his native city and later he studied in the college of Mount St. Mary at Em-
metsburg, Maryland ; also at St. Mary's University and Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity, Baltimore, Maryland. He came to Newton in 1909.
At Kjellogg the first Catholic services were held in the early seventies,
soon after the construction of the Rock Island railroad. The work was
then under the guidance of Father Fogarty. of Newton. There 'are a few
families of this denomination at Kellogg at present and are cared for by
the Newton priest.
At Monroe the Catholic people organized a church in 1865. Father
■\IcCabe was the first priest to hold Catholic services at this point. He
found here the families of Edward Mead, Patrick Mulkahey. Michael
Cragin and Daniel Holland, whom he at once organized into a church so-
ciety.
In 1875 3. building was erected under the pastorate of Father Malone.
It was thirty by fifty feet in size, costing about two thousand dollars. In
1878 the society, or congregation, numbered about twenty families and at
this writing it has a membership of many more families.
The various pastors who have had charge here have included Revs.
McCabe. Cogan. Lewisman. J. P. Clabby, Minahan. ]\falone, Fogarty.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Not manv of this religious faith have ever united in a society in Jasper
county. There was. however, one such church formed in Newton, St.
Stephen's parish, which was organized by Rev. \\\ T. Currie in October,
184 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
1867. the same being incorporated December i, 1868. The original mem-
bers were J. Green, M. B. Atwater, F. P. Miller, S. Van Riper, Thomas
Arthur, D. and R. Ryan.
The corner stone for the church was laid in September, 1871, and the
edifice was finished, except the spire, in Easter time, 1874. The cost of
church, furnishings, painting and grounds, amounted to about six thou-
sand dollars.
The rectors who ser\ed, so far as can now be learned, were Revs. W.
T. Currie, T. B. Niewby, J. H. Magoffin, S. C. Gaynor.
In 1878 the record shows that there were about thirty communicants
in St. Stephen parish. In later years the society found it impossible to sup-
port a regular rector and services were discontinued for a long period at a
time, but in the spring of 191 1 the society had been revived again and a
regular pastor secured and regular services are now held again.
MORMON CHURCH.
There have been but two societies of these religionists in this county,
and that was the church formed at Newton about 1858 and continued about
a quarter of a century. John X. Davis was its president. It came to have a
membership of about forty, who held services in a hall on the north side of
the public square. The belief of this peculiar sect is based jointly on the
Bible and the "Book of Mormon," which latter was accepted as a later
revelation to the original Bible.
A society flourished at Monroe for a number of years, but finally went
down.
LUTHERAN CHURCH AT KELLOGG.
St. Clement's Lutheran church at Kellogg was formed in 1869, by
Rev. F. A. Boden, who served as pastor many years. In 1878 the congre-
gation had a membership amounting to thirty families. In 1873 ^ house of
worship was erected at a cost of one thousand three hundred and sixty -five
dollars. The present membership is about seventy communicants. The first
child christened here was that of ]\[r. and Mrs. Louis Boden. August 31, 1873.
Rev. J. G. Olterman, now of State Center. Iowa, was pastor here until a few
months since, he being the last pastor serving the congregation.
At Elk Creek, this denomination has another church of about seventy-
five communicants, worshipping in a frame church erected in 1900.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 85
THE NEWTON LUTHERAN CHURCH.
This society was organized in July. 1868. under the labors of Rev.
H. S. Cook. The first members were Mrs. Elizabeth Failor, Mr. Ramsey,
and wife, Joseph Lyday and wife, John Dutot and wife, J. T. Xewell and
wife. Dr. Benjamin Failor and wife and Andrew Failor.
A house of worship was erected in 1873, known as the "Ten-Cent
Church." About two thousand dollars was raised by the society and alx)ut
five hundred dollars by the people of Xewton, regardless of denominational
lines. This not being sufficient to carry out their plans, the pastor sent let-
ters to churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states, soliciting ten-cent
subscriptions from each member in the Eastern churches. About eight
hundred dollars was thus realized. The structure was built of brick, a short
distance from the northeast angle of the public square and is still in use. In
1878 this society had a membership of about fifty and at present it has one
hundred and fifty-six. The society owns the church and a good frame
parsonage, near by. The pastors who have cared for this congregation
since its organization have been : Revs. H. S. Cook, 1869, to September 6,
1876: Walter L. Lilly, April 8, 1877, to 1878; J. H. Culler, 1879 to 1884:
Albert Bell, 1884-87: Rev. O. F. Weaver, B. F. Grenoble, 1888-92; Rev.
Litzell, Rev. Simon, Rev. Tait, Rev. Dieffenbach, W. L. Bright.
The records show the church was established with seventeen members.
THE GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH.
The Bethany German Reformed church at Baxter was located one mile
east of the village, November 7, 1869, with about twenty-six constituent
members, including these : Simon Haeger, Henry Krueger, Karl Krueger,
Simon Klemme. Henry Haeger, Frederick Krampe, \\'illiam Hermsmeier.
Henry Krampe and Henry Kanne.
The following have served as pastors : Rev. Solomon Elliker, from
July 4, 1869, to August 26, 1883 ; Rev. A. Heineman, from November 7.
1883, to January 13, 1889; Rev. Edward Scheidt, from January 27. 1889,
to October, 1907: Rev. Paul Treager. from April 5. 1908, and still pastor.
The first church building was dedicated July 25, 1869; this becoming too
small, another church was erected in its place and dedicated August
18, 1878: it was thirty-six by fifty-four feet, built of wood. The interior
was tastefully arranged and fitted out with a large two-manual pipe organ.
On Christmas day, 1910. this edifice was totally destroyed by fire. Another
1 86 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
church of pressed brick, forty by seventy-eight feet, with a steeple eighty
feet high, in gothic style, is now under course of construction.
The congregation owns a large parsonage, a school house for parochial
purposes and different buildings of wood construction, representing a total
value of about twenty thousand dollars. All buildings are located close to-
gether on a two and one-half acre tract. It also owns a cemetery of two and
a half acres, located a half mile north of the church.
The congregation is now composed of two hundred and fifty communi-
cating members. This is now, perhaps, the only church in Jasper county
where regular school is kept exclusively in the German language and where
all services are conducted entirely in the same language.
Another church of this denomination is located seven miles east of
Baxter, known as the Reformed Zoar church.
REFORMED CHURCH.
At Galesburg, this county, there was formed a church of the Reformed
denomination, early in July, 1891. The Reformed Church in America be-
gan mission work at this point and in October, 1891, the society was or-
ganized. At first the congregation worshiped in the Methodist Episcopal
church, later in the Christian church, and then for a time on the second
floor of the parsonage. In the fall of 1897 the building of a church was
contemplated, and on the nth of April, 1898, the corner stone was laid
and on July 13th, the same year, this neat mission church was most joy-
fully dedicated. People from different parts of the country and pastors from
the various denominations participated.
THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH.
This denomination is a branch of the great Reformed church of the
world. It differs from the Dutch Reformed church only in minor affairs,
and in the old country is all one body. At Sully, this county, this church
was formed in 1896. The denominations are represented in many states
and territories in this Union. Among the original charter members at Sully
were these : D. Van Zante, of Sully, and A. G. Vos, of Galesburg. At
present there are eight consistory members. The present total membership is
three hundred and forty-five souls, or sixty-five families.
The church building is located on the road from Killduff to Lynnville
in the edge of the village of Sully. It is forty-four by sixty-six feet. The
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. iSj
basement is of cement l>Iocks, nine feet high, the balance being of frame.
It stands on a tract of eleven acres of land with the parsonage in the center.
The first church was sold to the Congregational people and in January, 191 1,
a new edifice was dedicated, which, together with the parsonage, etc., is
valued at ten thousand dollars.
The growth of the church is slow from the fact that teaching takes
much pains and time. Most of the congregation are farmers and the high
price of the land in this county keeps many from settling here, hence a slow
groA\th in congregation matters, but good, thorough work is effected.
The following have served as pastors at this point: Revs. J. Van der
Mey, 1897-1903; W. Stuart, 1904-07; M. Van der Heide, 1908-10; the
present pastor in charge is Rev. H. Danhof, who came and was installed
September 18. 1910.
CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH OF GALESBURG.
This society was organized in 1898 with eight families and seventeen
communicants and about twenty members by baptism. Garret Uppel and
family are among the first and strongest members of the church here, al-
ways being counted on and present when possible to attend services. He
is eighty-three years old, but neither summer's heat nor winter's blast pre-
vents him coming to church. He lives all of five miles from his church.
At first the society rented a place to worship, but in a few years pur-
chased the old Christian church building and have since used that as a
church home. About 1907 the society bought a parsonage at a cost of
one thousand, three hundred dollars. Among the pastors here may be re-
called. Rev. T- Van der ]\Iey, 1903-4; Rev. Van der Hock. 1905-08, and the
present pastor, Rev. S. Bouma, who came in 1909.
The church now has a membership of twenty-two families, forty-two
communicants and sixty members by baptism — all told, one hundred and
two. All services are held in the Holland language.
REFORMED CHURCH OF SULLY.
This society was organized as the First Reformed church December 7.
1904. and now has forty-six members, including these : John Verenkamp
and wife, Cornelius De Jong, G. Van Workman and wife, Mr. and Mrs.
James Dykstra, W. K'ooistra and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Wisgerhof and names
not now at hand.
l88 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The list of pastors includes the following: Revs. B. Bruim, from No-
vember, 1905. to November, 1907; John Hoffman, from July i, 1908, and still
serving- the church as its pastor.
The church and parsonage, both frame buildings, at Sully, are valued
at fifteen hundred dollars.
THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS ( ORTHODOX ).
This denomination has two societies within Jasper county at the present
date. The first work of this good sect was in the early fifties, near Lynnville.
They first formed into a society in 1851 at Lynn Grove. Just a few years
prior to this came to this settlement Ambrose Osborn and family, who
located there. He purchased the mill erected by Mr. Sparks. Soon after
this came Jervis Johnson, accompanied by his wife, Melissa, and four sons,
who emigrated from Indiana. Then came Jesse Arnold, his wife, Sarah,
and six children: Henry Zimmerman and wife, Paris ]Mendenhall and fam-
ily, Solomon Edwards and family. Such a number desired meetings and
came under the Sugar Creek (now Oskaloosa) monthly meeting. J. A. Grin-
nell was their first preacher.
This pioneer effort upon the part of the Friends was made known to
those of like faith living in Indiana and large numbers came hither. From
out this number of Friends was organized the Sugar Creek. Chester and
Lynnville meetings. About 1858 they commenced to hold monthly meet-
ings and by 1878 they had come to number of four hundred. These, to-
gether with those at Kellogg, made up a quarterly meeting known as Lynn
Grove quarter, having a membership of six hundred and thirty-one in 1877.
In 1856 a meeting house was built thirty by sixty feet in size. Later, meet-
ings w'ere held in the old academy.
The present Friends' church at Lynnville was erected in 1899 at a cost
of two thousand dollars, when material and labor was much lower than at
this date. The present membership of tin's society is two hundred and eighty-
three.
THE CHESTER CHURCH FRIENDS' SOCIETY.
Among the early settlers in Lynn Grove township were believers in the
faith of the Friends (Quakers). Among the pioneers of this church are
recalled now the names of Lemuel and Thomas Butler, Warren Bufkin, Will-
iam Dysart, A. T. Kirk, Eli White, James Williams and others. These peo-
ple all came in from Indiana and most of them had families partlv grown to
manhood and womanhood at the time of their coming.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 1 89
The first prairie was broken in 1855 and the first house erected in 1856.
While improving their lands and making for themselves comfortable homes,
they forgot not the God of their fathers beyond the rolling waters of the Mis-
sissippi river from whence they had emigrated. They formed here a cliurch
and set in motion the wheels of a common school. For a time this settlement
attended meeting at Lvnnville. but soon provided one nearer to their homes.
The first meeting was held at the home of Lemuel Butler. After the school
house was erected that was also used for meeting house purposes, until 1857,
when a church was built. The first minister in this neighborhood v/as Jane
Jones, Mattie Bufkin, Anna \\'hite, Aaron Symons and his wife, Anna, were
included among the early ministers of this church. After 1887 Charles
Renaud faithfully served as minister for a number of years and was still
there in 1901. The membership was small, but they believed it their dutv
to maintain a home meeting.
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH.
This denomination is not now represented largely in Jasper county.
A small body of this faith of religionists was organized at ^lonroe in 1871, by
Elder Canright. The first members were Rebecca and Sarah A. Stemm, John
Johnson and wife, Joseph Bennington and wife and George Marshall and
wife. This denomination has not grown to any considerable extent in
Jasper county with the passing of the vears.
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This society was organized by the colored people of Newton of this de-
nomination in 1877, and a house of worship was provided in the northeast
part of the city by the purchase of an old frame school house, which, after a
number of years, was rebuilt into a respectable church edifice which still
serves the congregation, which includes many of the colored people of the
place, there being only the one African church in Xewton.
YOUNG men's CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
A society of this order was established at Newton in Februarv, 1874,
with seven members. The officers were : S. J. Moyer, president ; J. C.
Aydelotte. vice-president : David Van Giesen. treasurer; James Mitchell,
Charles Jackson, Charles A. Clark, trustees.
190 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
A mission Sabbath school was organized by this association in North
ISTewton in March, 1876.
The association also established a lecture course in 1877. which was
highly successful. A reading room was maintained, open afternoons and
evenings, as well as Sundays. For a number of years this society was very
active, but with the formation of other kindred societies within the numerous
churches, the "^'oung Men's Christian Association was allowed to run down.
CHAPTER XIII.
CIVIC SOCIETIES OF THE COUNTY.
In almost every part of the civilized globe there are found secret orders
of various kinds, both ancient and modern in their origin. Of recent years —
the last forty — there ha\e sprung up a legion of beneficiary societies, semi-
secret in their workings, but it is not of this class that this chapter will treat,
for they are too numerous and of too little general interest. They come and
go like the shadows — some are good and some are spurious. As most of these
are now under state control, they afford a very safe life insurance, and have
coupled with them some very excellent work and are quite good social or-
ganizations. Among such, in this county, may be named in passing, the
Woodmen, Workmen, Knights of Columbus, Red Men, Ben Hur, etc.
This chapter will seek only to give the general history, organization,
present standing, etc., of the three great civic orders of this century, the
Masons. Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS.
The first Masonic lodge instituted within Jasper countv was Newton
Lodge No. 59, founded under dispensation of James L. Hogin, grand master.
March 30, 1855. The first officers were: R. D. Minard. worshipful master;
Jesse Rickman, senior warden ; Hugh Rodgers, junior warden ; S. Cooper,
treasurer; Elisha Hammer, secretary; William Rodgers, senior deacon; Z.
M. Allen, junior deacon ; Lewis Helfry, tiler.
Hugh Rodgers represented this little band as proxy for the worshipful
master at the grand lodge the following June, the session being held at
Keosaqua. The report of that session remarked in record : "The work of
this lodge is mostly square. The lodge was opened May 26, 1855, and has
not yet been closed. Otherwise the work is good and the by-laws correct.
They recommend that a charter be granted to said lodge by the name of
Newton, No. ." Later in the grand lodge the number "59" was be-
stowed upon this lodge. The lodge was represented at grand lodge at Oska-
loosa in 1856 by Jesse Rickman. It does not appear that any "work" was
done until in June, 1855, but a year later the ft^llowing had "formed the
19-' JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
perfect square:"' J. A. Harris, Caleb Laml). j. R. Sparks, P. AI. Wood, G.
W. Corney. Little Woods, John Dunsmore, David Evans, W. M, Springer,
Henry Welker. Joshua Rickman. Thomas Rees, W. R. Matthews, William
H. Silssby, G. \\'. Louthian, \\illiam Dinwiddy, Riley Ashley, A. R. Joslin,
William Dunn, Thomas Pearson, Henry Blake, Levi Combs, S. W. Foreman,
T. J. Dinsmore. At the close of 1858 this lodge had a membership of forty-
two. In 1878 it had increased to one hundred and twenty-eight.
In 1875, ^^ conjunction with the chapter and commandery, they built a
third story over the building erected by ]\Iorgan & Ledyard and R. Burns,
on the west side of the public square, which was fitted up for their use at a
cost of twelve thousand dollars. The rooms and equipment of this hall were,
in their first days, considered as good as any in Iowa.
The present number in this lodge is two hundred and sixty-four. Its
officers in the spring of 191 1 were as follows: James E. Callison, worshipful
master; Frank Wilson, senior warden; O. N. Green, junior warden; Christ-
ian Griebling, treasurer; Fred L. Kiennedy, secretary; J. B. Harvey, senior
deacon; John W. Kennington. junior deacon; David Conn, senior steward;
George F. Scott, junior steward ; L. B. Westbrook, tiler.
The following is a complete list of the past worshipful masters in New-
ton : R. D. Minard, Jesse Rickman, 1857; R. D. Minard, 1858; R. D. Min-
ard, 1855-6; Jesse Rickman. 1857; R. D. ]\Iinard, 1858; William Rodgers,
1859; J. A. Harris. 1860-61; T. H. Miller, 1862; William Rodgers, 1863;
I. A. Hammer, 1864-5; William Rodgers, 1866; I. A. Hammer. 1867; S. G.
Smith, 1868; J. W. Wilson, 1869-70-71-72-73, and grand master, 1878-79;
S. H. Galusha, 1874-5; S. J. Condit, 1876-77; A. P. Hanson, 1878; J. W.
McLaughlin, 1879-80: Caleb Lamb, C. P. Axtel 1882; J. B. Eyerly, 1883;
Robert Burns. 1884; O. W. Treman (May to December) ; H. S. Winslow,
1885; H. K. Stahl, 1886: \'. W. Skiff. 1887-8; C. F. Morgan, 1889-90; J. Y.
Bailey, 1891-92-93: H. V. Byers, 1894; O. N, Wagley, 1895-96-97-98, and
grand custodian: F. D. \\'inn. 1899-1900; J. T. Pound, 1901-02; S. C.
Hughes, 1903; David Conn. 1904-05; E. P. ]\Ialmberg. 1906; David L
Clark, 1907; Walter J. ]\Iorgan. 1907; Clifford V. Cox, 1909; James E. Cal-
lison, 19 10. All are now deceased but twenty-one.
ROYAL ARCH MASONS.
Gebal Chapter No. 12 was granted a dispensation for charter by James
R. Hartsock. grand high priest, March 6, 1856, to J. Swallow, J. D. Minard,
Caleb Lamb and a few others.
JASl'ER COUNTY, IOWA I93
In 1878 the number of members of this chapter was ninety-eight and
at this date it is one hundred and sixty-one.
The hst of high priests have been as follows: Joshua Swallow, Caleb
Lamb, William Rodgers, D. R. Minard, Jesse Rickman. 1863; William
Rbdgers, 1864; Caleb Lamb. 1865; ^^'i^iam Rodgers, 1866-67; J. W. Mur-
phy, 1868; William Rodgers, 1869; H. S. ^^■inslow, 1870-71-72-73, and
grand high priest. 1875-76-77: S. J. Condit. 1874: S. E. Zinn, 1875-6
George R. Ledyard. 1877-78: A. P. Hanson. 1879-80; S. H. Galusha, 1881
D. L. Clark. 1882; J. W^ McLaughlin, 1883; C. P. Axtel, 1884-5: O. W
Treman. 1886: Charles H. \\'ilder, 1887, and grand custodian, 1894-5: J. W
McLaughlin, 1888: C. H. ^^'ilder, 1889-90; O. C. Meredith, 1891-92; F. D
Winn, 1893-94-95: J. Y. Bailey. 1896-97; Howard Case, 1901-02; John
Hartwig, 1903-04-05; David Conn, 1906-07-08; Fred L. Kennedy, 1909-10.
Dates given denote the year elected, the election occurring in November. All
are now deceased but sixteen.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
Oriental Commandery No. 22, at Newton, was organized March 28,
1872, the charter having been granted October 16, 1871. The following is
the list of the eminent commanders : Caleb Lamb, J. B. Eyerly, J. W. Wil-
son, George R. Ledyard, Wesley Roberts, N. Townsend, J. Y. Bailey, J. \\'.
McLaughlin, D. L. Burnett, J. P. Newell, Charles H. W^ilson, O. C. Mere-
dith, Robert Burns, C. F. Morgan, A. M. Hough,, Frank D. Winn, Fred E.
]\Ieredith. A. H. Benjamin, D. R. Tripp. Lee E. Brown, Fred L. Kennedy,
Walter J. ]\Iorgan, A. P. Hanson, E. E. Lambert. R. A. Rhoades, C. A'ar-
num. William Rodgers. S. E. Zinn, S. L. Patton. H. S. Galusha.
The present membership is one hundred and ninety.
MONROE LODGES.
Monroe Lodge No. 88. Ancient Free and Accepted Alasons, at !\Ionroe.
was formed by dispensation granted March 5, 1856, hence is one of Jasper
county's earliest Masonic bodies. The grand master named B. Putnam as
worshipful master; D. S. Smoke, senior warden, and John Tyler as junior
warden. Nothing was accomplished, however (owing to some irregularities
in admitting members without proper recommendations), until 1857. In
1858 John Tyler became worshipful master and three members had been ad-
mitted bv initiation ; then three had been passed and three raised, four de-
mitted and the total membership was twenty-one.
(13)
194 JASl'EK rOlNTV. IOWA.
The lodi^'e was finallv chartered in ^^^J. hnt from internal causes the
charter was surrendered in June, iS^g. w lien the body ceased to exist. After
the close of the Civil war and in 1X66 the fires of Masonry were again lighted
here in Monroe and a dispensation, was issued in June of that year to h^air-
view Lodge Xo. 194. The first officers of the new lodge were: G. R. Led-
vard. worshipful master: G. W. Richards, senior warden; John Taylor, junior
warden. The lodge was chartered as Xo. 194 in the following year. From
that date on peace was the record of the lodge at Monroe and in [HjH it en-
I'oved a membership of ninety. Its present membership is recorded as one
hundred and fourteen. The present officers are: (i. C. Ammer. worshipful
master; C. D. Fouch, senior ^\■arden ; S. Scharf. junior warden; O. W. Burch-
inal. treasurer; F. L. Lane, secretary.
Fairview Lodge rented a hall until 1873, ^^hen they built a home of
their o\\ n. and the present fine brick hall was erected in 1909, the same being
as complete as anv hall in Towa. The Order of the Fastern Star is repre-
sented here.
Geber Chapter L^. D.. Royal Arch Masons, was instituted June 20,
1878. bv the appointment of G. AL Bethel as eminent high ])riest; Seth
Dixon, excellent king; V. M. Slusser. excellent scril)e. The chapter grew
rapidlv from the first and fifteen belonged in Octol)er, 1878, its first year's
history.
KELLOGG MASONIC LODGES.
At Kellogg. ^Meridian Lodge Xo. 280, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma-
sons, was established February 10. 1870. under dispensation granted Febru-
ary Lst. which named Lsaac Burnett as worshipful master; C. H. Russell,
senior warden; S. S. Patterson, junior warden. The other members Avere :
\V. R. Reynolds, D. Vaughn. W. F. Rowland, Charles Morgan, Walter Mor-
gan. J. AW A\'ilson was the first master under the charter, which instrument
was granted the following June. In 1878 the records show a membership of
about fifty; at present it is seventy-one.
The present officers are as follows: R. C. Burton, worshipful master;
F. R. Foster, senior warden; P>. A. Barton, junior warden; C. R Irish, treas-
urer; E. J. Birchard, secretary; A. R. W. P)rown, A. !>. Cra\en, James Drake,
trustees.
In the nineties this lodge ])urcliase(l its present brick hall building.
L^■x^\"ILLl•; ?il\soxi(' lodge.
Lebanon Lodge X^o. 227, Ancient b'ree and .Accepted ^lasons, at Lvnn-
ville, was organized under dispensation December 7, 1867, with fames B.
Naylor, worshipful master; I. J. AAHiite, senior warden; AA'. R. Matthew^s,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I95
junior warden: J. P. lUmi]), treasurer; Joseph R. Xaylor, secretary; Dewitt
Dunham, senior deacon; W. C. Rayburn. junior deacon; S. W. Caster, tiler.
The only other charter meml)er was John R. Sparks. S. M. Robertson was the
first candidate for the forming- of the ''perfect square." J. B. NIaylor served
as master for seven years.
The present membership of this lodge is sixty-seven and its elective offi-
cers are: C. H. Potter, worshipful master; A. W". Meredith, senior warden;
C. L. Zimmerman, junior warden; AT. G. Garner, treasurer; C. E. Ouire.
secretar}'.
BAXTER MASONIC LODGE.
Unit Lodge No. 520. Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Raxter.
was instituted in 1892 by charter members as follows: John R. Peck. William
R. Vandike. George M. Web]), James Williamson. P. J. Cool, Martin L.
W'eaver, F. T. Gilmore, Alfred Davey. W^illiam H. Blair, C. P. Rairdon, J.
0. Gardner. W^illiam Bailey, George Greenfield, Jesse Cross. W. F. Rippey.
The first officers (elective) were: John R,. Peck, ^^•orshipful master;
William A^andike, senior warden ; George M. Webb, junior warden ; James
Williamson, treasurer ; P. G. Cool, secretary.
The first place of meeting was in the rooms o\'er Hanson & Downs" drug
store. That burned in 1897, when they built a hall of their own on lot 15,
l)lock 2, of Rippey's addition to Baxter. They lease to the Odd Fellows and
\\'oodmen.
The present membership of this lodge is forty-four, or \\as on January
1. 191 1. Its present officers are: John Allan, worshipful master; L. E. Fow-
ler, senior warden ; J. S. Booth, treasurer ; Carl C. Webb, secretary. The
trustees are Paul Cooper, C. E. Davey and W. R. A^andike.
THE GALESBURG LODGE.
Monumental Lodge Xo. 311, Ancient Free and .\ccepted Masons, at
Galesburg, was organized in 1872 and in 1884 they erected their present hall.
They now have a membership of forty-two, with the elective officers in 1911
as follows: Albert Lust, worshipful master; B. A. Romans, senior warden;
L M. Carnahan. junior warden; W. A. AA'ilHamson. treasurer; .\rthur
Wheeler, secretary.
COLFAX MASONRY.
Riverside Lodge No. 389, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Colfax,
worked under dispensation from some time in 1878. when J. R. Rodgers was
worshipful master; L N. Paschal, senior warden; J. T. West, junior warden;
196 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
W. L. West, secretary; John Fanselor. treasurer. The remainder of the
charter members were: John Cochran. C. A. Dotson. D. ^1. Morrison, John
D. Dee. E. M. Holland, Dr. J. R. Ryan. William Foy. William Clark, J.
Keasey, William Little. Dr. S. K. Pickens and three more.
PRAIRIE CITY MASONRY.
Preston Lodge No. 218. Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Prairie
City, was organized under dispensation, iMay 14. 1867, with J. G. Eckles,
worshipful master: A. B. Jenks. senior warden; C. F. Head, junior warden;
the other petitioners were Charles Dustin. W. L. Clark, Lewis Clark. Levi
Jenks, William L Church, F. T. Murrah, Ralph Nixon. The charter was
granted in June, 1868. In 1878 the lodge had a membership of fifty-two and
in the spring of 191 1 it has forty-eight. The present officers are: K. F.
Harp, worshipful master; F. J. Binford, senior warden; J. A. Ray. junior
warden: Fred Daly, senior deacon; D. ]\I. Henninger, junior deacon; B. E.
Moore, treasurer; J. H. Freeman, secretary.
A lodge hall was erected in 1881, at a cost of about one thousand five
hundred dollars. The following is a list of the worshipful masters of this
lodge: J. T. Eckles, C. F. Head. F. J. Reigart, H. C. DeWolf, W. L. Clark.
W. G. Clements, F. M. Austin, Jesse Wilson. B. C. Ward. J. F. Harp, A. T.
Dowden, G. L. McFadden, C. S. Jenks, Arthur Graham, D. H. Gill, H. M.
Wilson, C. D. Johnson, J. F. Harp.
MASONIC LODGES IN JASPER COUNTY, I9II.
The following ^Masonic lodges were in existence in ]\Iay, 1911 : Newton
Lodge No 59; Fairview Lodge No. 194, at Alonroe; Preston Lodge Nb. 218,
at Prairie City : Lebanon Lodge No. 227. at Lynnville ; Meridian Lodge No.
280, at Kellogg: Alonumental Lodge No. 311, at Galesburg; Riverside Lodge
No. 389. at Colfax; Unit Lodge No. 520, at Baxter.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
The pioneer Odd Fellows lodge of Jasper county was formed at New-
ton. It was Central Lodge No. /T,, established October 11, 1855, by author-
ity of the grand lodge of Iowa. The charter members were : H. J. Skiff,
Solomon Gardner, A. Failor, C. Conlev and \\'il]iam Rodgers. The latter
was the first noble grand; H. J. Skiff, \ice-grand : S. Gardner, recording sec-
retary ; C. Conley, permanent secretary ; A. Failor, treasurer.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. I97
This lodge flourished with the town of Xewton until the breaking out
of the Civil war, Ijut in 1862 it was found impossible to sustain it on account
of the large numbers who had gone into the service of their country under
President Lincoln's call for troops. The charter had to be surrendered, but
about the close of that terrible conflict it was petitioned for at the grand lodge
to have the original charter returned, and the prayer was answered, as they
were entitled by their patriotism to this complimentary token of good will
from the head of the order.
In 1878 this lodge had a membership of fifty-six and was in a flourishing
condition. The lodge now has a membership of two hundred and fifty-two.
Its present officers are: Elroy Scott, noble grand; O. M. Keith, vice-grand:
John R. Hall, recording secretary: F. H. Russell, financial secretary; George
^^^ Simpson, treasurer.
Xewton Encampment Xo. 16 was instituted April 19, 1876. by charter
from the grand encampment of Iowa, with Caleb Lamb, chief patriarch ; J.
H. F. Balderson, high priest; A. ^I. Hinsdale, senior warden; William
^'aughan, junior warden; J. S. Agnew, scribe; J. H. !McCalmont, first war-
der; G. F. Schurtz, second warder. The other members were E. Shipley, G.
Meyer and J. S. Knight.
In 1878 the records show a membership of twenty-seven; its present
membership is one hundred and thirty-two.
The present officers are : A. C. Raridon, chief patriarch : H. E. Ras-
mussen, high priest; Arthur Jackson, senior warden; E. P. Grant, junior
warden: J. R. Hall, secretary; S. S. ^Marshall, treasurer.
PATRIARCHS MILITANT.
Canton X^o. 31, at X'ewton, was possessed of the following elective offi-
cers in June. 191 1: H. E. Rasmussen. captain; A. L. Guthrie, lieutenant;
W. L. Kintz, ensign ; J. R. Hall, clerk and accountant. The order now has a
membership of one hundred and thirty.
The order is represented in the state department of Odd Fellowship by
Maj.-Gen. E. E. Lambert and Col. H. J. ^NIc^Furray. of the Second Regi-
ment of Iowa.
The hall occupied by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at X'ew-
ton was erected many years ago. At first the order built the east half of the
present block at the northeast corner of the square and later purchased the
balance of the block. They have a fine hall and the membership in all de-
grees is one of activity and good works.
198 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
ODD FELLOWS AT COLFAX.
At Colfax the Odd Fellows organized Lodge Xo. 476, May 24, 1884,
with the following charter members: F. W. Carey. J. R. Sharp, M. Thomas,
D. M. Guessford. J. I). Johnson, A. J. Chalmers. J. M. Stayner.
The present membership is one hundred and ninety. Its present officers
are : B. F. W'intersteen, nol)le grand ; E. A. Wheeler, vice-grand ; R. E.
Cnmmings. secretary; J. H. Hahn. treasurer. The lodge hall is owned in
company with the Knights of Pythias order. The past grands are as follows :
J. R. Sharp, A. S. Kizer. J- R. English. C. \V. Paschal, W. H. Ball, Henry
Sharp. B. L. Logsdon. J. H. Clements. F. W. Logsdon. John Pearson, A.
Dale. W. X. Smith. J. O. Pflaum. C. H. Keipp. B. Winpegler. A. H. Irwin.
John Harris. Fred Ackrael. R. E. Cummings. yi. E. Penquite, E. E. Clark,
\\\ S. Cutter. A. A. W'allburn. T. P. Barnes, E. E. Kiendig, E. J. Howe,
Orvil Morgan. A. Denholm. l-'red Hanson. C. Winslow. J. H. Hahn, J. M.
Stayner, O. D. Acton.
BAXTER ODD FELLOWSHIP.
As is usually the case in these progressive times, towns where enterpris-
ing men do Imsiness ha\e time and desire for keeping up the various secret
orders and looking after each other's ^^•elfare. Baxter has ever been fore-
most in such laudable work
Acton Lodge X"o. 516 was organized December 27, 1902, Iw' twenty-
eight charter memljers. including these : X. Hazlett, P. S. Hill, W. H. Bair.
George Chamlierlain. who held office. The total membership now is fifty-
five. The lodge meets in Masonic hall, which they lease. The 191 1 electi\e
officers are : J. F. Coakley. noble grand ; T. 1'. K'elley. ^■ice-grand ; James
McKenzie, secretary : ^^^ T. Thorp, treasurer.
Baxter Encampment X^o 224 was organized June 2/, 1909, with twenty-
five memliers. The present officers are: Clint McMahon. chief patriarch;
J. 1"'. Coakley, junior warden: R'. \\\ Crawford, high priest; James Garrison,
scribe.
Baxter Rebekah Lodge X'^o. 579 was organized February. 1909. and now
enjoys a membership of fifty. Its present officers are: Mrs. Walter Grant,
noble grand: Mrs. Alice Earl}-, vice-grand: Mrs. Belle Chamberlain, secre-
tary.
MIXGO ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Mingo Lodge Xo. 174 was formed at Mingo, July 10. 1905. with forty-
six charter members. The total membership of this lodge is one hundred
and nine. Its present officers are: Henry Byal. nol)le grand; J. W. Ramlio,
JASPER COUXTY, IOWA. I99
vice-grand; C. C. Black, treasurer; W. A. PeiKiuite. secretary. The lodge
meets every Wednesday evening, in Baker's hall.
The following have served as noble grands in this lodge; A. L. Rees,
F. B. Rose. E. C. Battles. Lee Signs. M. F. Berkley. H. K. Poorbaiigh. C. C.
Black. \V. J. Southern (deceased). J. L. Coughlan. W. A. Penciuite and C.
Hebers.
MONROE ODD FELLOWSHIP.
At ]Monroe, Jasper Lodge No. i68 dates its history from Septeml)er.
1868. when a meeting was held and it was decided to petition for a charter.
A dispensation was granted by William P. Sharpe. who ordered if the peti-
tioners would wait three weeks or so. to come and establish a lodge, which
was consummated December lo. 1868. The recognized charter members were
as follows: William Howard, L. G. Zerley. J. W. Johnson. W. F. Hill.
Josiah Turner. Jacob Kipp, Ximrod Caple and T. Burchinal.
Early in 1871 the lodge purchased a set of jewels at a cost of one hun-
dred dollars, and in the latter part of the year 1870 the lodge moved to new
lodge (|uarters. In 1875 the lodge bought a lot of ground on the northeast
corner of the pul)lic s(|uare. paying one thousand dollars therefor and there
their hall was erected.
In 1878 the lodge had a membership of seventv-one; its 191 1 member-
ship is eighty-five. Its present officers are ; C. M. Hetherington. noble
grand; Harry Worth, vice-grand; W. T. Woolcott. recording secretary; W.
H. Hetherington. financial secretary; C. W. Burchinal. treasurer.
At first this lodge had its home in the second story of a building on the
north side of the public scjuare. Its present quarters are situated in the haU
in the second story of a brick building over the State Savings Bank, at the
southwest corner of the s(|uare. This hall was l)uilt at a cost of three thou-
sand dollars. It was erected in 1898 and is the property of the Odd Fellows.
Monroe Encampment Xo. 60. at Monroe, was instituted May 20. 1872.
The first officers were: T. B. Burchinal. chief patriarch; T. McR. Stewart,
high priest; I. Hawkins, senior warden; J. R. Hall, junior warden; R. R.
Foehlinger. scribe; X. Caple. treasurer. In 1878 the lodge had a membership
of thirty, which has been increased to forty-five in 191 1. The chief patriarch
is W. T. Woolcott.
Eureka Rel^ekah Degree Lodge X'o. 32 was established January 17,
1874. T. C. Burchinal was the first noble grand. It now has a membership
of eighty. The present noble grand is Mrs. Mary Holland.
200 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
KELLOGG ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Tecumseh Lodge No. i8i, at Kellogg', was organized December 15,
1869. J. H. F. Balderson was made noble grand: Daniel Boatright. vice-
grand ; William Bonser. secretary ; S. Condon, treasurer. The other charter
members were Cyrns Sinnard, Robert AIcK'ittrick and Jasper N. Stewart.
The following- have filled the office of noble grand : J- H. F. Belderson,
D. Boatman. S. Condon, William Bonser, B. B. Boatright, \\'illiam ^Marshall,
William \^aughan, George Condon, Le\i ^^^ Davis, Charles B, Duncan. The
present officers are: A. B. Craven, noble grand; ^^^ J. Robinson, vice-grand;
F. L. Phipps, secretary : Harry Attwood, treasurer.
The lodge now has a membership of fifty in good standing and is in a
flourishing condition. The order meets over the Dr. Smith business house,
on Main street, which it has called its home for a rpiarter of a century. The
encampment degree is well represented at this point, also.
' LYNNVILLE ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Lynnville Lodge No. 322 was constituted October 21, 1875. The first
officers were : R. H. Cook, noble grand ; O. C. Meridith, vice-grand ; J. W.
Moody, secretary; A. R. Matthews, treasurer. The other members were
William Hamilton, Thomas McGlasson and S. Condon.
In 1877 the lodge had a membership of about fifty.
Lynnx'ille Fncampment No. 83, at Lynn\-ille, was established in October.
1876. The first officers were: O. C. Meridith, chief patriarch; J. W. Moody,
high priest; A. R. Matthews, senior warden; J. S. Kitch, junior warden; W.
H. H. Nelson, scribe; S. M. Robertson, treasurer. V. A. Roberts was also a
charter member.
In 1878 this encampment had a membership of thirty.
PRAIRIE CITY ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Prairie City Lodge No. 144 dates its history from 1867. George Fugard
was the first noble grand ; C. Conrad, vice-grand, and the other charter mem-
l)ers were Isaac Cooms, Caleb Bundy, S. F. Miller, B. J. Head. R. B. Smith,
A. J. Wilkinson.
The records show a membership in 1878 of thirty: its present member-
ship is one hundred and four. Its present officers are: J. A. ^^^^ddell. noble
grand ; Charles French, vice-grand ; Fred Daily, secretary ; ]. R. Buckley,
treasurer.
JASPER COUNT V, IOWA. 201
This lodge owns its own hall, a building forty by one hundred and twenty-
feet, with a hardware store below the hall. The Rebekahs. Woman's Relief
Corps and the Yieomen meet in the same hall.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
This fraternity has grown rapidly since its organi/catir)n. which seems
but a few }ears, in comparison to the Masonic history which runs awav back
into truly ancient times. The Knights of Pythias lodges are found in the
following places in Jasper county :
Delta Lodge No. 53 was organized February 19. 1880, by the following
charter membership: F. S. Clark. ]\F A. McKinley. Frank Fisk, C. W. Stahl,
Jay Clark. J. W. McLaughlin, George W. Ledyard, A. J. McGregor, W. Mc-
Colloms, Grant Townsend, Ralph Parmenter, Frank Hunter. S. R. Oldaker,
S. N. Russell, J. G. Cotton. H. K. Stahl. E. E. Hughes and R. C. Wilson.
The first officers were: Past chancellor. S. R. Oldaker; chancellor com-
mander. IT. Iv. Stahl: vice-chancellor. AL A. McKinlev : propliet. J. \\\ Mc-
Laughlin: master of exchequer. Jay Clark; master of finance. Frank Fisk:
keeper of records and seal, C. W. Stahl: master at arms. E. E. Hughes;
inner guard. Grant Townsend : outer guard. A. J. McGregor.
The present officers are: H. P. Engle, chancellor commander: J. R.
Bowen, vice-chancellor: R. B. Gibford. prophet: R. D. Guessford. master of
work; Oscar A. Coon, keeper of records and seal and master of finance;
Charles Griebeling. master of exchequer; Arthur Nelson, master at arms;
Mert Lewis, inner guard ; M. R. Souder. outer guard.
The lodge was instituted in the Hiatt building on the north side of the
public square and now meets in Castle Hall in the Clark Ijuilding on the east
side of the square.
The past chancellors have been A. H. Bergman. Jay Clark. John L.
Conn, W. E. Carpenter. John H. Coon. J. R. Gorrell. Charles Ciriebeling, M.
B. Huckins. J. H. Harvey, W. F. Harvey, A. K. Lufkin. E. N. Lawrence.
R. R. Alowry, B. A. Miller, J. W. McLaughlin. David McAllister. John
OT^eary, J. F. Rouze. Alton Reynolds, C. A. Snow and G. W. Simpson.
Russell's Division No. 26, of the Uniform Rank of this order, was or-
ganized June T. 1893, but has never been as prosperous as some of the other
L'niform Rank divisions of Iowa.
There are Knights of Pythias lodges in Jasper county at Newton. Kel-
logg. Prairie City. Newburg. Baxter. IMonroe. Colfax.
202 JASI'KK COrXTV, IOWA.
The Kini'o-hts of TVthias are represented at Prairie City l)y Jasper Lodge
No. 63. organized August 14. 1890. by charter members, inckiding these:
B. E. Aloore. J. H. Little. M. Feathers, j. Prouty. B. C. \\"ard. I. \V. Shriver.
D. L. Lower, Ellis AlcConnaughey. V. A. Heaton. Ed. Winchell. C. Tool. B.
F. Milleson, Henry Blatmer, W. M. Davis, Bailey Burns, Edgar Draper.
Among the chancellor commanders have been B. C. Ward, D. M. Kelly,
Alden (lilbert, Bailey lUirns, George 1\'. Scott, D. F. Brown, R. E. Yowell,
F. Al. Moore. 1. W. Shriver. R. I). Lower, J. W. Jeffries. B. E. Moore, D.
yi. Hemminger. A. j. Hixson. J ]\1. Keating, I'rank L. \\'oodard, W. M.
Davis, present incumbent of the office.
The 191 I officers are: W. M. Davis, chancellor commander; T. J. Yow-
ell, vice-chancellor; R. E. Yowell, master of work; Hugh G. Little, keeper of
records and seal and master of finance ; B. F. Moore, master of exchequer ; J.
W. .Hayes, master at arms; F. M. Moore, prelate; D. i\L Hemminger, inner
guard: Ivan Moore, outer guard.
A leased hall is occupied now. 1die present membershii) of lodge is
seventy-fi\e.
In 1909 the I'ythian Sisters were instituted, and the 191 1 officers are as
folhnvs : Past chief. May Hemminger; most excellent chief, Ollie Little; ex-
cellent senior chief, Fannie Wiggins; excellent junior chief, Hazel Hayes;
manager. Delia Kindred; mistress of records and correspondence. Jess M.
Gill: mistress of finance. Floy McKleveen ; protector. Dora Brown; guard,
Carrie Patrie.
At Kellogg a Knights of Pythias lodge was formed in 1893 ^"^^ "^w has
a working membership of thirty. It is known as Kellogg Lodge No. 376.
They meet in a leased hall over the Jones business house on Main street.
The officers (elective) in 1911 were: T. L. Simpson, chancellor com-
mander; F. L. Rhodes, vice-chancellor; (i. F. Galusha. keeper (jf records and
seal; A. E. Adams, prelate: S. A. Owings. master of finance; R. C. Birchard,
master of exchecpier ; S. H. Schultx. master of work; A. F. Schultz. master
at arms; M. D. Baum, inner guard; Pi. N. Smith, outer guard.
Baxter Lodge No. 168. Knights of Pythias, was organized .\ugust 13,
1896, with sixteen charter meml>ers. The ])resent total membership is seventy.
The present electi\e officers of the lodge are: G. T. Haeger, chancellor com-
mander; George E. Kline, vice-chancellor; J. E. Thorp, prelate; \V. T. Thorp,
keeper of records and seal; H. S. Downs, master of exchequer.
The lodge meets in Haeger Brothers' hall. The past chancellors are:
H. S. Downs, Homer Rairdon, A. C. Rose, W. T. Thorp, H. .\. Trus.sel, Carl
C. ^^'el)b, J. A. Workman, \\. ]. (ioodwin.
JASPER COUXTY, IOWA. 2O3
Colfax Lodge No. 4 was organized August 14. 1885, and now has a
membership of one hundred eighty-six. The first officers were : (j. C. O'Neal,
past chancellor; H. Crawford, chancellor commander; F. .\. Smith, prelate;
0. Bryan, master of exchequer; A. S. Mar(|uis, master of finance; A. W.
Hall, keeper of records and seal; J. N. Reynolds, master at arms; PI. Young,
inner guard ; John Roup, outer guard.
The present (1911) officers are as follows: N. Rinker, chancellor com-
mander; M. Pollard, vice-chancellor; Robert Dawson, prelate; M. McKeever,
master at work; John Pearson, keeper of records and seal; A. Rol>erts. master
of finance; I^. J. Drois, master of exchequer; Charles Gregg, master at arms;
1. Hunter, inner guard; A. E. Wheeler, outer guard.
There have been fifteen chancellor commanders in this lodge to date. The
order owns its own hall.
CHAPTER XIV.
MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.
The people of Iowa have ever been justly proud of the state's military-
record made duriui;- the great Civil war, fought from 1861 to 1866. That
her pioneers were made of the right material, in a patriotic sense, one is con-
vinced by a glance at the lately published military volumes of Iowa, which
valuable documents disclose the fact that out of about one hundred and fifty
thousand men subject t(i military duty within lier borders in 1861, fully
eighty thousand men went to the seat of war in the Southland. Many never
returned to home and friends, Imt were buried where they fell, by disease or
bullet, their graN'es now l)eing marked, if at all, by the sad, but significant
word "unknown." Verily these died that our glorious Union might lie pre-
serxed. By their life-blood the Nation was saved !
At first seventy-five thousand men were called for ])y the following-
proclamation by President Lincoln, the document being dated Monday, April
15, 1861, and read as follows:
■'Whereas, the laws of the United States have for some time past, and
are now, opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed, in the states of
South Carolina, Alabama. Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, by com-
binations too powerful to he suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial
proceedings, or by the powers vested in the marshals ; now therefore, I, Abra-
ham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me
vested by the Constitution and the laws, have thought to call forth, and
hereby do call forth, the militia of the several states of the Union, to the
number of seventy-five thousand, in order to suppress said combinations, and
to cause the laws to be duly executed.
''The details for this su])ject will ])e immediately communicated to the
state authorities through the war department. I appeal to all loyal citizens
to favor, facilitate and to aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integrity,
and existence of our national union, and the perpetuity of popular govern-
ment, and to redress wrongs already long endured. I deem it proper to say
that the first services assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably
be to repossess the forts, places and property which have been seized from
the I nion; and in everv event the utmost care will Ije observed, consistentlv
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. -^0=)
with the ol)ject aforesaid, to avoid any devastation, any destruction of, or
interference with property, or any disturbance of peaceful citizens in any
part of the country; and I hereby command the persons composing the com-
binations aforesaid, to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective
abodes, within twenty days from this date.
"Deeming that the present condition of pubh'c affairs presents an extra-
ordinary occasion, I do herelDy. in virtue of the power in me vested by the
Constitution, com-ene l)()th liouses <:)f Congress. The senators and represent-
ati^•es are therefore summoned to assemble at their respective chambers at
twelve o'clock noon, on Thursday, the fourth day of July next, then and
there to consider and determine such measures as in their wisdom the public
safety and interest may seem to demand.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
"Done at the city of Washington, the fifteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the independ-
ence of the United States the eighty-fifth.
"Abraham Lincoln.
"By the President.
"W. H. Seward, Secretary of State."
The last words of this proclamation had scarcely fallen from the wires
before the call was filled. Men came from farm and shop, from the East
and the West, from mountain and glen — men of all professions and all politi-
cal shades of difference for the time being forgot all but the one thing of
preserving the uaion of states and the rights of the people under the Con-
stitution and the flag that had so long and proudly waved over a united
people.
But seventy-five thousand men were not sufficient to crush out the re-
bellion. Call after call was made and filled by the best volunteers the world
has ever seen draw- a sword or take aim with a musket. The inscription
written in 1859 by Hon. Enoch Eastman, of Eldora, for the block of stone
designed for the Washington monument, at the national capital, read, "Iowa
— her affections, like the rivers of her borders, flow to an inseparable L^n-
ion." When the great civil conflict came on, these words seemed almost
prophetic in their character, when one reflects upon the unison of action in
most e^'erv part of the commonwealth with wliich troops were mustered into
service that the union of states might be preserved.
Upon the receipt of the news that the assassination of the newly-
elected President had been attempted while en route to Washington to take
206 JASPER COl'XTV. IOWA.
his seat, a military company was hastily organized at the old conrt house at
Xewton, with thirty-fi\e members, llie officers chosen were: j. A. Gar-
rett, captain: J. W. Wilson, first lieutenant: J. S. llunter, second lieutenant;
J. L. Matthews, Henry Kissell. Samuel Failor, Jesse Kennedy, Jr., sergeants;
D. >\IcCord, Jr., Samuel Osborne, M. Ramsay. J. M. Rogers, corporals.
Captain Garrett had seen service in the Mexican war.
Application was immediately made to the go\'ernor of Iowa for arms,
but the answer returned was that the cjuota was exhausted, and that there
was little prospect of more being obtained for some time to come. On this
account, the filling up of the company's ranks proceeded slowly for several
weeks, when the organization was abandoned.
VOLUNTEERING.
April 22, 1861, in response to the President calling for troops, a rousing
meeting was held at the court house in Xewton, and the nucleus of a com-
pany for actual service was formed. The Free Press says that intense ex-
citement pervaded the meeting, "and when the national flag was brought
into the densely crowded room, to the stirring music of glorious 'Yankee
Doodle,' such excited enthusiasm was there as only comes when slumbering
patriotism is kindled from off God's altar." W. H. Silsby presided. Stir-
ring and patriotic speeches were made by Dr. Robinson, of Grinnell, H. J.
Skiff, S. G. Smith. H. S. Winslow, Judge Kbllogg, Rev. C. Shaffer. Rev.
John Steel and Captain Chapman. The following citizens then signed the
roll : S. H. Chapman, J. G. Jones, J. R. Rodgers, Thomas R. Keisler. John
Shellady, D. \\\ Lester. Robert Bain. W. E. Huling, John S. Cottle, Allen
Alloway, Thomas Poor, Martin Rtimsey, Simeon Kennedy, J. W. Preston,
William Robinson, J. C. Dixon, William Hunter. D. ^^^ Critzer, J. S. Adam-
son, S. R. Bicknell, B. Aydellotte, John Cockley, William Foutts, Francis
Job, James P. Banks.
Another meeting was held on the 26th of the same month, at which
time the roll of the company was nearly comj)leted. May 2d the list was
published, and its composition may be seen in this chapter elsewhere.
In Monroe a great mass meeting was held on .\pril 24, 1861, presided
over by R. Elwood ; S. A. Holt, secretary. Ten men volunteered. On the
29th, at an adjourned meeting, thirteen more enrolled their names and the
meeting pledged itself to furnish as many more if necessary — and certainly
they kept their word.
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. 20'J
In Poweshiek a meeting was held on April 26, 1861, presided over by
patriotic men. Another was held three days later. Eleven men joined Cap-
tain Chapman's company, and the meeting passed the following resolutions :
"j. That immediate .steps be taken to thoroughly organize Poweshiek
into a military organization.
"2. That there be a committee of twelve appointed to act as regula-
tors, for \arious purposes, not necessary to mention.
"3. That all persons not willing to vindicate and defend the Union and
the Constitntion, sliall ])e brouglit lie fore the committee and be dealt with as
traitors.
"4. That (tur meetings open and close !)}• inxoking the divine aid and
blessing upon our patriotic and glorious undertaking."
JASPER COUNTY FULLY AROUSED.
Saturday. May 4, 1861, was a big day in Jasper county. On that day
was held a great mass-meeting at Xewton. at ^\•hich time measures were
taken to fully perfect a complete military organization of the whole county,
in which Poweshiek a few days Ijefore had led off by enrolling a home guard
of fifty men. Captain Chapman was marshal of the day, assisted by Colonel
Shellady and William H. Silsby. J. W. Alurphy presided at the meeting
and A. K. Campbell was secretary. The exercises consisted of speeches by
J. R. Alershon and Rev. C. Shafer, music and the business for which the
assemblage had met.
It was in the minds of the people in this and other southern Iowa coun-
ties that an invasion would soon take place by the guerrillas from Alissouri.
Airs. T. G. Springer, then of Alalaka township, wrote a beautiful poem
on the going out of these. Jasper county's first soldiers. One stanza should
never be lost among the rare gems of poetry written by an obscure lady at
the beginning of the Civil war. It runs thus :
"But would we call them back to us? Xo ! by those Stripes and Stars,
That floated o'er our fathers through their long and bloody wars.
We will cheer them on to battle \\here their glorious banner waves,
And they'll proudl}- die beneath it, rather than live as slaves;
And they will be victorious — the strength of courage born
Will bear aloft their gallant flag, though blood-stained and torn;
And the proud defiant chieftain, from the land of bloom and song,
Will learn in blood this lesson — 'the peaceful are the strong.' "
2o8 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The original "Jasper drays" could not be recognized by Governor Sam-
uel J. I\iirk\vood. until in July. ]86i, when they hnally received marching
orders. They attended the Congregational church in a body in the morning,
Rev. D. E. Jones preaching the sermon. At evening they attended the
Methodist Episcopal church and listened to Rev. A. H. Shafer. The next
evening, while assembled at a sociable at the Congregational church, a ma-
jority of the men took a pledge list, which included these items:
"We, the undersigned United States volunteers, remembering the teach-
ings of our fathers and mothers and the sentiments of the community from
whence we go, will abstain entirely from the use of ardent spirits, except for
medicinal purposes; to not use profane language and improper language; to
keep holy the Sabbath day ; to read the Scriptures and have prayer in our
midst, and hope to be brave in the hour of conflict, kind and compassionate
in the hour of victory, especially to women and children."
On Tuesday, the same week, the soldiers were presented with a flag,
the presentation being made by Col. Thomas Miller, on behalf of the "New-
ton Hawkeyes." Then came the parting time — that saddest of all times on
earth, when loved ones and dear friends part with but a faint hope of again
meeting. Many of the citizens accompanied the troops on their way, as far
as they thought best. The route taken was via Monroe, Pella, Oskaloosa and
Edenville to Burlington, the place of rendezvous. A kettle-drum was car-
ried by the boys, loaned them by ]\Ir. Bain. The same had been carried by a
Continental drummer in the Revolutionary war.
Recruiting for two more companies at once commenced ere the sound
of the first company had been lost to the ears of the patriots at home. One
was raised at Monroe and another at Newton. A company was also raised
in August, 1 86 1, commanded by gallant Captain Garrett.
OFFICIAL ACTION IN JASPER COUNTY.
The reader may be interested to know something concerning the official
action of the board of county supervisors, the people's representatives, during
that never-to-be-forgotten struggle. The records show that at a special
meeting held early in July, 1861, the following resolution was adopted by the
board :
"Resolved, That each member of the board of supervisors be authorized
to look after the families of the soldiers that have gone or may go to war
from their respecti\-e townships, and furnisli them witli such necessaries of
life as tliey may need. And the orders of said supervisors, respecti\eh'. on the
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 209
comity treasurer to pay for said necessaries shall be drawn by the clerk of the
board of supcrxisors, upon presentation, accompanied with the name of the
person's family to be relieved thereby, and duly signed by said member of the
board of supervisors, each member to report his doings to the board."
This was the only action necessary, and for the next seven years, until
the claims and demands of soldiers' families had come to an end. there was
never a hint by any member of the board that too much was being expended
to care for the "war widows" and the families of soldiers in the field. When
money was needed, it was dealt out in a business-like manner by the people,
through the l)oard. Each member of the board (one from each township in
the county then) had charge of the needs of his own township and was never
questioned by the other members, for they, too, were all looking after the
needs of their own soldiers' families.
On June 3, 1863, the board passed the following resolution :
"That Drs. Thornell and Hunter be and are hereby appointed a com-
mittee to visit the sick and wounded soldiers of Jasper county, Iowa, and
that the sum of three hundred dollars is hereby appropriated for the purpose
of furnishing such supplies for them as, in their judgment, may be necessary
and proper; and that they be required to report at the next session of this
board, of their doings, together with the amounts expended."
PRESENTATION OF THE ''lIAVELOCKS."
The following bit of reminiscence was brought out by the pen and from
the good memory of Civil war days, by J. H. Fugard. of Newton, at the
dedication of the new (1911) court house:
"Our people had some queer ideas about the dangers of a soldier's life,
and some impracticable schemes were proposed for their relief. One source
of dread was the fear that our boys would not be able to endure the intense
heat that was supposed to exist in the Southern states. Some one had read
how General Havelock, the Christian soldier, had furnished a novel sort of a
head covering for his Highlanders to protect them from the sun, in their
famous march across the sands of India to the relief of Lucknow.
Acting on the suggestion, the Newton Ladies' Aid Society devised and made
a lot of them. They were called 'Havelocks,' and were made of some kind
of light material, and looked (piite different from anything ever seen here
before, being a sort of a cross between a helmet of the middle ages and a
night cap of our grandmother's days. And when Captain Garrett's com-
pany were about to leave, they were drawn up in front of the north porcli,
' (14)
2IO JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
and in a short speech by one of the ministers were formally presented with
them.
"The gift was made from nol)le moti\es. But the presentation proceed-
ings were badly marred by the loud laughter of the small boys at the ludi-
crous appearance of the troops. But the latter paid no heed to the taunts
and, out of respect to the donors, they wore their sunbonnets like heroes until
they got out of town. They afterwards used them for dish cloths."
For a complete list of all soldiers ^^•ho went from Fairview township
the reader is referred to the history of that township for a certified sworn-to
copy of same, made in 1865 for military purposes. "
VOLUNTEER ROSTER OF THE COUNTY.
The following roster of soldiers who went from Jasper county has been
carefully compiled from the adjutant-general's reports which were issued by
authority of the state between the years 1862 and 1866, and are considered
correct, except in a few changes, where some disability, such as desertion,
has been removed l)y more recent acts of Congress and rulings of the war
department. It is the aim to give the name of all volunteers, and note also
those killed. The list is given alphabetically, by companies and regiments.
THIRD INFANTRY.
Company C — William H. Sparks.
Company E — Second Lieutenant (when mustered out in 1864) Allen
Alloway ; James F. Guthrie, corporal; Benjamin F. Denton, corporal; J.
M. Skiff, corporal ; John Blake. Justice Dunn. Samuel T. Jones, James C.
Livingston. I. T. Xewhouse, Jasper H. Parks. J. \V. Preston, James H.
Trotter.
Coiiipaiix G — T. (i. Norris. John A. Butler.
Company H — Second Lieutenant David Scott; Sergeant John C. Carr;
H. C. Dearinger.
FIFTH INFANTRY.
Company A — Corporal William C. Hawk. F. G. Tubbs.
Company B — Captain Samuel H. Chapman; First Lieutenant Alexander
Mateer; First Lieutenant Robert A. McKee ; Second Lieutenant O. A. Camp-
bell ; Sergeant John Shellady ; Sergeant William W . Dungan ; Sergeant
James Vannatta; Sergeant Thomas R. Kiesler; Sergeant William Adamson ;
JASPIiR COUNTY, IOWA. 21 J
Corporals Miles Humphrey, E. Edmonds, J. ^M. Loudcnback.' Isaac J. Jones.
D. W. Teter. James W. McCroske) . W. C. W'inslow, James Taylor, William
F. Bodley, David Herron. James P. Banks, Cleorge F. Work, A. Ritter,
John M. Yolk, T. E. Beath; J. R. Rogers, musician; If. C. Gist, wagoner;
A. G. Atha. Daniel Bixler. M. Butler. John D. Bodley, I. T. Borden, L. K.
Carey, S. Capel. I. Cartwright, M. W. Cottrell, M. K. Campbell, I. Collier,
Burnett Dewitt, John C. Dixon, William P. Pouts, Job Plemming, Joseph
E. Fisher, John Gray. William E. Graham. J. Halgerson, William E. Hun-
ling, William Hill, Hiram C. Hall. W. H. Howard, George M. Hammond,
William H. Haxton, J. M. Hilsinger, F. 'M. Johnson, Theodore Jones. G. L.
Jones, S. Kennedy, James A. King, Thomas Kerr, PI. I. Lyman, George W.
Lowe, D. R. Loudenback, E. McReynolds, ^^^illiam ^lartino. Jered Mesker.
George B. T^Iahan, ^^'illiam I^. ]\Iaus, Wesley ]\Iatson. T. L. McDonald.
William McCully, Charles ^I. Alorris, O. B. Piix^r. Thomas Poor, John J.
Peyton. Thomas W. Preston, H. Reynolds. A. D. Romans, J. Rhynehart,
James H. Smael. L. F. Shell} . William H. Sparks. B. F. Stearns, H. Scott.
J. Stem. William Spnrlin, John H. Sparks, George Watson. W. Warrell,
John H. \\^elsh.
Company D — Layton Butin. M. B. Cooper. S. Hayes. T. H. Payton.
Company (unknown) — Daniel Connor. C. Erich. A. ]>klcCusker, P. Mc-
Daniel, J. Schlusser.
TENTH INFANTRY.
Colonel William H. Silsby entered as first lieutenant : Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Aaron \\'. Drew entered as sergeant ; Quartermaster George G. Lindlejl' ;
Sergeant-Alajor George Fugard; Hospital Steward Milo Dibl)le; Musician
y. W. Skiff; Musician John A. Harris; ^Musician Z. Needham ; Musician
Xeedham.
Co}npa}i\ D — William B. McKinney.
Company F — Samuel Bushong.
Company I — Captain John A. Garrett; Captain Stephen W. Poage; Cap-
tain William P. Wilson; Jnrst Lieutenant William Manning; Second Lieu-
tenant James S. Laughlin ; Sergeant ^^'illiam F. Rippey ; Sergeant Joseph
Houston ; Sergeant Joseph Powell ; Sergeant E. R. Gantt ; Sergeant Freder-
ick Kinley; Corporals J. T. Kennedy. Oscar Evans. H. L. Kroh. Robert C.
Banks, J. H. Jliff. \\'ilHam H. Earp. D. W. Church, C. T. J-Jelm, William
Strong. Henrv Lockwood. James Smith: Musicians James O. Hammond. W.
R. Perkins ; D. X. Adamson. A. Alloway, A. M. Ashley, A. Bevan, I. Black-
wood, A. X. Bradfield, J. B. Clark, J. H. Coldren. Thomas J. Colyar, M. Cox,
212 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
T. J. B. Crawford. James Ciilp. Josiah Dicus, William Doak, Joel Dodge, E J.
Duncan, H. M. Fiske, M. V. George, A. Hammack, James C. Hawk, George
Hews, Isaac Hickman. A. W. Hickman, I. Homer, M. F. Iliff, William F.
Jackson. George Klelly, Joseph C. Kennedy. Wesley Kerr, O. C. Kinley,
James F. Faiigblin, George G. Findley, B. F. Logsdon, William H. Lowell,
John Mather, R. D. Maus, J. W^ Mans, J. E. Montgomery, L. W. Moshier,
Aaron Mylin. Thomas J. Nelson. E. D. Patterson, H. H. Phillips. John N.
Replogle. F. .\. Sanders, S. Scarbrongh. Bennett Scoville, Jesse Slavens, H.
E. Smith, Joseph \l. Trammel. M. W. Trotter. Benjamin F. Weston, F.
Whitted, J. T. Wilsey, \Mlliam P. ^^'ilson. A. J. Wiggin. John W^ren.
Company K — S. Adams, S. F. Beals, L B. Beals, U. D. Barrett, A.
Cushalt, S. Howell. Israel Myrely, S. Morris, E. C. Smith, Richard Stock.
Company (unknown) — John H. Dearinger. R. AL Sanders.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY.
Company B — Captain Thomas H. Miller; Captain HarYcy J. Skiff;
Captain Levi L. Newcomer; First Lieutenant George E. Martindale; First
Lieutenant Josiah B. Eyerly ; First Lieutenant Ezekiel L Evans ; Second
Lieutenant E. D. Duncan; Second Lieutenant William J. Peer; Second Lieu-
tenant George B. Hunter ; First Sergeant David S. Stover ; Sergeant N. S.
Johnson ; Sergeant John L. Mathews ; Sergeant Sylvester Adams ; Corporal
John West ; Corporals E. L Evans, J. C. Taylor, William H. Shipley, H.
L. Kissell. H. H. Lockwood, William L Peer, William P. Stier; privates,
Armentrout, D. R. : Armentrout. William H. ; Binkerd. Jacob; Snodgrass,
Robert S. ; Swaney. N. ; Barnes, J. R. ; Baker. Daniel W. ; Battles, Beriah;
Byerty, William H. ; Barbee. William S. ; Burroughs. C. R. ; Cary, A. W. ;
Carrothers. \\^illiam ; Cary, John C. ; Dickenson, J. W. ; Dodge, Israel ;
Davis, M. R. ; Dennis, T. ; Dawson, J. ; Easterday, A. P. ; Eyerly,
AA'illiam R. ; French, Angus; Fislier. F. H. : Fowler, Snyder; Fisher, Wil-
liam IT.; Foy, William; Flaugli. William; Frantz. William; Flaugh. Aaron;
Guthrie, 1). L. ; Giles, Samuel S. ; Guthrie. R. N. ; Guthrie. F. A.; Guthrie,
A. W. ; Hunter, William A.; Hall. John R. ; Hart. William; Hanks, George;
Hughes, S. R. ; Jordan, John ; Jordan, \\'illiam B. ; Kenyon, John N. ; Kenyon.
George W. ; Kellogg. Frederick; Knapp, William H. ; Langcor. William;
Lamphicr. 1).; Little. James V.\ Logsdon, \\Mlliam; Logsdon. George \Y.\
Lickins. Thomas N. ; McKeever, George ; Murphy, Hugh M. ; Muri)liy.
William T. ; Myers. M. P.; Mendenhall. B. W. ; Monger, John \^ ; Moler,
Lewis; McWilliams. H. ; Poling. Martin; Patterson, G. F. ; Rogers, J. M. ;
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 2I3
Parker, F. ; Rieman, F. ; Rieman, Clay; Rowe, G. R. ; Reynolds, James;
Richardson, William; Rowe, Willis; Skiff, E. P.; Street, W. W. ; Shipp,
Thomas; Snyder, M. P.; Seaton, J. A.; Shutt, John; Stahl, Henry; Swaney,
Joseph; Sams, D. E. ; Shill, G. W. ; Wolf, C. j\I. ; Watt, James; Weston,
G. W. ; Wedkins, William; Westfall, L. C.; Wheeler, J. R. ; Wright, Henry;
Young, Wesley.
Company E — Marquette, J. F. ; Neil, H. H. ; Priest, Joseph; Stock,
William; Shook, J. R. ; Walker. Enos; Oswald, B. P.; Parker, J. W. (com-
pany not known).
FOURTEENTH INFANTRY.
Company E — Captain ^^'illiam B. Davidson; First Lieutenant John W.
Horine; Second Lieutenant Neill Murray; Second Lieutenant William H.
McMillen; Sergeant William T. Ingle; Sergeant W. W. Stanfield; Sergeant
J. K. Cavatt ; Corporals Samuel Ritchie, D. W. Shearer, J. Gravatt, D. W.
Lybe, Benj. F. Prunty, Augustus Wagner, Isaac L. Rerick, James S. Seller, F.
T. Jeffries, Daniel Bailey; Musicians Charles W'allace, B. F. Shawhan; privates
— Broen, P. W. ; Crockett, B. F. ; Collins, William ; Collins, Andrew ; Court-
ney, James; Cowman. C. R. ; Davidson, W. S. ; Deakin, \A'illiam; Deakin,
J. E. ; Drake. M. ; Draper, J. \\\ ; Frazier, George ; Frost. Joel ; Frost,
Samuel; Flemry. A.; Goodacre. Robert; George, D. C. ; Groomes, S. C. ;
Gravatt, T. H. ; Hilton, William; Hayes, William A.; Hodson, William;
Horn, George H. ; Holland, Thomas ; Johnson, Robert H. ; James, ISPathan ;
James, George W. ; Lybe, William; Linton, H. B. ; Lindsey, Robert; Morris,
John W. ; McMillen, J. C. ; Means, Adam, Pruner. Isaac; Pope, Carey; Rose,
George D. ; Rutherford, D. E. ; Silvers, Isaac ; Van Grundy. L. ; Wallace,
A\'illiam W. ; Webb, George M.
RESIDUARY BATTALION, FOURTEENTH INFANTRY.
Company A — Sergeant William T. Ingle; Sergeant William S. David-
son ; Corporals. George M. Webb, F. M. Anderson, Isaac Walters.
TWENTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
Company C — Captains T. M. Ault and Lafayette F. ^Mullens; First
Lieutenants Neill Murray and Robert W. Davis; Second Lieutenants
Samuel C. Fugard and Nathaniel Townsend ; Sergeants Taylor Pierce.
George W^ Cooney, O. B. Sawdy, John N. Wykoft"; Corporals David H.
214 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Nlorris, Benjamin West. Levi V^ersaw, George \V. McCall, Thomas Allnm
George S. Post. James T. Dailey. George C. Nicholl, N. Townsend. J. W
Dinsmore. I. W. Low. J. \\\ Xewcll, George T. Bennett, George McQueen
Musicians F. H. Peabody and Thomas M. Rogers ; \\'agoner David Slozad
privates. Adams. Jeremiah; Atha. C. H. : Alkim, Leroy; Brown, H. C.
Brown. S. B. ; Bean. Robert I. ; Brown. W'ilHam H. : Baker, Charles P.
Burtch. A. E. ; Bair, Emanuel ; Bair, David ; Bennett, Adam ; Campbell
George W. ; Carper. Monroe: Cushatt, James T. ; Chiles, H. W. ; Cole
James A. ; Clippinger. John ; Dixon. A. ; Falkner, ]\I. H. ; Green. John L.
Guthrie. J.: Hart. E. C. ; Hickman. E. M. : Hall. Levi M. ; Irwin. William
Jack. John W. ; Jack. H. B. ; Kester, J. E. ; Kester. Samuel; Kene-
day, J. R. ; Kester. Lewis \\'. : Kawapot, C. ; Linn, A. J. ; Longfellow.
E. E. ; Linn, John, ]\IcIntosh, James K'. ; Myers, John ; McPherson. J. B. ;
McCollough, James P. ; ]\Iyers, T. ^^^ ; McKeever. \\^illiam ; INIcKeever,
Thomas; McDonald, C. L. ; McKeever, A.; Miles, R. W. ; Mann, William
M.; McQueen, George; Xewhouse, J.. Oiler. C. C. ; Roustin. A.; Roustin,
E. ; Story, Samuel; Smithart. L. W. ; Stanfield, P. N. ; Swaggert. John;
Shawhan. George W. ; Story, Thomas ; Shipp, E. ; Scott. David ; Spurling,
J. T. ; Strater. William; Thatcher. Joseph M.; Trager, William; Van Horn,
D. M. ; Xan Horn, O. E. ; ^^'interhalter, I. \\'. ; Worrell. Barney.
TWENTY-THIRD INFANTRY.
Company A — Hilton, E. B.
Company E — Fudge. James \\'. ; AIcLaughlln. E. R. ; Wood, E. F.
Companx G — Captain J. P. Roach ; Captain Richard L. McCary ; Cap-
tain Thomas H. Miller; Second Lieutenants George F. Ingle. Charles Hanes;
Sergeants A\'illiam H. Minnick, S. Hammel. A. F. McConnell, William A.
Webber. D. J. Sturgeon. H. Swain. Jacob R. Moore; Corporals, R. S.
Rutherford. Charles Hanes. J. ^\^ Deweese. E. Frazier, R. S. McConnell.
A. J. Porter. Thomas G. Stewart. J. B. Rumbaugh. D. West; Musicians. J.
F. Hunnel, D. Hunnel ; wagoners. John H. Hill. R. S. Rutherford; privates,
Asher, A.; Asher, L. ; Anderson, Robert; Ash. Thornton; Royer. Jacob;
Berry, B. C. ; Brubaker, J. W. ; Bailey, William B. ; Carter, Harrison; Car-
risck, C. ; Draper, J. J. ; Eli, S. J. ; Erickson, J. ; Meming. John \. ; Flinn.
Robert; b^jrbes. F. H. ; Fox. (icorge W. ; Gift. John A.; Halpin. James;
Hanes. William A.; Harvey, William; Harlan. E. ; Hampton. William; Hill,
J. M.; Hill, William F. ; Hayes, J.; Howard. \\'illiani A.; Ingle. Thomas J.:
Ingle. John L. ; Jones. A. \\'. ; K.oder. Sloan; Loman, John H. ; Morris,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 215
Solomon; ]\liller. Thomas H.; Marsh, Robert H.; Montgomery, T. G. ;
]\Ieans. EHas ; North, John; O'Kee, Joseph L. ; Porter, William E. ; Porter.
Robert; Person. C. D. ; Powers, J. W. ; Powers, J. P.; Phifer, William;
Phifer. John; Powers. John G. ; Riley. H.; Rees, James F. ; Sprunce, Levi;
Smith. A. L. ; Sturgeon, A.; Stout. William H.; Strain, John A.; Sanford,
I. \V. ; Trout. S. PL; Van Gundy. William W. ; Willock. John; West. S. ;
Worley, John W.
Company H — Nicholas. A. J.; Sims. John E.
Company K — Perin. H. J.; Smith. Alvey ; Thompson. William M.;
Thompson, Joseph A.
TWEXTY-EIGIITH IXFAXTRY.
Company K — Captain Merritt W. .Xtwcjod; First Lieutenant Malcom
C. Dean: Second Lieutenant J. R. Zollinger; First Sergeant C. W. Mvlin;
Sergeant J. Wright Wilson; Sergeants De \Vitt C. Smoke. John
Hammack. John H. Smith, Nelson Adams, ; Corporals T. T. Mc-
Cord, C. L. Roberts, J. M. Blanchard. James Hawes, Daniel E. Connor,
Charles Bodley. Abel L. Cure. John F. W. Andreas, G. ]M. Walker. William
Patterson. A. T. Pope, John R. Elliott, John C. \\'ilson, A. ]\L Hinsdale;
]^Iusicians. Thomas H. Housel. Jabez Green; Wagoner S. H. Durbin; privates,
William J. Adams. John Aikens, \\'illiam H. Ashley, John H. Butters, W.
H. Butters. Lucian Blanchard, William A\'. Brothers, John Bergstrom. A.
F. Beals. Joseph Bodley. James M. Brown, E. E. W. Briggs. George W.
Conrad. Samuel M. Caldwell, S. B. Cox. C. Callison. A. P. Callison. Nim-
rod Dickey, James M. Dimn, Robert Doak, C. T. Davis. W. Elliott, Edward
Early. Henry Effner. David Flover. Leander French. Robert D. Fregna,
Samuel Friend. J. Graves. George ^^^ Garner. Daniel Gifford, Elisha Ham-
mer, H. T. Hawk. James N. Hamilton. E. A. Head. Jonas P. Haskett.
E. Harris. George Hutchinson, John Hews. John B. Harris. David Harris.
S. \A'. Helphrey, J. ^^^ Hendricks, H. C. Houck, William J. Iliff, L. D.
Jones. Thomas H. Jay, Charles Jones. E. H. Keyes. Hugh L. Moffit. J.
Lloyd. H. McFarland. M. A. :\IcCord. Elias B. Moffitt. William J. ^L'lrtin.
G. :McConkey. \\'illiam Northcut, \\'illiam Oblenis, E. A. Perkins, S. Old-
field, G. B. Powell, William Roots, G. D. Patton, D. A. Post. A. J. Post, T.
V. Saunders. John Sinder, Amos Sinder. Benson Starr. D. C. \\'ork, G. M.
J. Parks. J. B. Peer. C. P. Riose. Josiah Rose. G. Skinner, A. S. Saum. M.
Wilson. T- S. Wilson, Austin Whitehead, Solomon \\'est.
2l6 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA,
THIRTY-SEVENTH INFANTRY.
Covipanx C — First Lieutenant Stephen B. Shellady.
Company I — Captain Caleb Lamb ; Sergeant \\'illiam Blasdell ; Corporal
Alex. Pattison; Musician Isaiah Gardner; ^Musician C. L. Gardner; Wag-
oner R. R. Louderbach; Privates T. H. Cavett. Robert Denny, Elijah Davis,
Jacob Guthry, William Gardner, N. S. Heard, Lewis Herring, David Harris,
A. Y. Hampton. John K]eating. S. R. Lee, Alex AIcGarrah, C. D. Moffitt,
William Meek, Jacob Oswalt, Alex. Peer, George Purrington, Andrew Pease,
W. J. Robertson, T. Slater. William Stewart. D. C. Thatcher. William Wil-
son, R. B. Wilkinson.
FORTIETH INFANTRY.
Company A — Joseph L. Hutchins.
Company B — Y. E. Hestwood.
Company D — Captain Felix W. Cozard ; Captain D. Cox; First Lieuten-
ant David Edmundson ; First Lieutenant James D. Taylor ; Second Lieu-
tenant John W. Smith; Sergeants C. C. Turner. J. W. Preston. Robert
Williams, David Beams ; Corporals Y'illiam Barbee, Jacob C. Cozad, T. J.
Davis, William P. Jordan, Hugh A. Peas, Y^illiam Ring, Alfred Alloway;
Musician Eli Boarts; Musician W. B. Manners; privates, Joseph H. Ander-
son, Abisha Alloway, B. Aydelotte, John W. Alloway, Curtis Burnham,
Abraham Burnham. John C. Baker. C. F. Brock. James E. Bailey, A. Con-
over, John B. Cole, H. M. Cole, Hiram B. Chase, P. M. Cline, A. B. Con-
way, John Coe, Robert Dawson, Joseph A. Dooley, Thomas English, S. H.
Fisher, AL Flock, David Y'. Flock. Elias E. Friend, William Foy. James
Gettys. Peter Gettys, Jacob Gearhart, Burton Hurst. John Hopping, Abel
Herring, John Y\ Haines. A. E. Jeffries, E. R. Jones, J. F. Knostman,
Flenry Long, M. Lee, James Miller, Robert W. Mitchell, John Manning, H.
iMcK'enna, James A. Meredith, T. J. McGlothlin, John R. Meighan. M.
Miller, E. G. Neighbors. S. F. X^wcomer. Simeon Phillips. Robert Philson.
John Rafferty. Adam Robinson, X. A. Rawlings, B. C. Sparks. M. F. Swan.
John Swan, Robert Swan, George Sims, Solomon Sego, James Stewart, L.
D. Smith, Patrick Sheridan, William LL Trease, James J. Tramel, George
W. Y^olf, Eli Wolf, Joseph Wetzel, John \\'allace, John R. Y-'illiams, Jacob
West, John T. Wyat, George W. A\'eems.
Company E — Captain W. Sennet ; Captain Joseph Hewitt ; First Lieu-
tenant James L. Hunter ; Second Lieutenant Aaron Adams ; Sergeants V. Y^.
Heller. N. G. Xelson, John Mateer, H. G. Nielson ; Corporals C. P. Kintz, S.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 2\J
O. Munger, Charles E. Dodd. William R. Hampton. William Dye, Joshua
Chapman, William A. Thompson. J. W. Taylor, L. J. Connelly, William A.
Kline. L. S. Thurston: Musicians T. C. Bain. John R. Bain; Privates A.
Butin. A. C. Butin, William F. Baker. E. M. Bateman, B. Y. Blackwood, J.
Bargenhaultz. Joseph Cox, I. B. Carnes. M. Connelly, H. A. Cowles, C. M.
Cating. A. Carnham, Solomon Clemens. George W^ Carnahan, C. X. Dani-
ger. John Dunaway, H. C. Fowler, G. Edwards. George W\ Eyler, Joseph
E. Fisher. J. C. Fudge, F. P. George, Samuel P. Grey, J. A. Humphreys.
David Hays. F. Hendricks. E. Humphreys, Jacob Hunter. N. Kitchen, Charles
Kestler, Peter Kline, Isaac Koon. Howard Koon. John H. Lapella. Levi
Lower. Olfrey Matthew. E. ]\Iather. John Minor. Phillip ]\Iudgett, Daniel
Mather, N. Moon. F. Alortimore. Peter Matthews. X. H. X'orthrup. Joseph
Xeal. John Oberlies. Joshua Parker. Henry Quick, William H. Runyon,
Joseph Runyon. Francis Rice. William S. Reagan, George W. Randall. James
Schooley. J. K. Schreck, Joseph F. Shutts. David Shutts, C. O. Sellman,
E. AL Streeter. T. A. Streeter, Thomas Stock, George W. Thorne. James
'M. Trotter. E. J. Talbott. C. Taylor. S. Thompson. H. \'an Fossen, J. F.
Wheatcraft. John F. Wheeler. John X'. Wilson, Isaac X'. Waldrip. Eli
Walker. Joseph M. West.
Company H — First Lieutenant Henry F. O'X'eal ; Wagoner John D.
Cradlebaugh ; Privates James Acklin. C. Buckhalter, James Buckhalter, Davis
Branham, William B. Bass, John W. Brodess, Jesse W. Barton, Cary Brown.
William A. Ballard. J. Barrett. John Catlin, M. R. Carroll. Ashley Codey,
John V. Cole. Isaac X'. Core, F. M. Dickey. George R. Dawson. James P.
Dawson. Joshua Doty. Closes Doty. Isaac Doty, Phillip Etherington, A.
Everhart, James A. Enos. Austin Fosdick. Franklin Ford, Oliver Ferrell.
E. Haining, John Huff, H. Horsman. William H. Hammer, S. J. Humphrey.
M. Hollingsworth. P. Hockstra. F. Jennings, Charles Johnson. James M.
Johnson. Samuel Kinart, Peter Kesler. George M. Kferr, William Melroy,
William ^lullins, John A. ]\Iark. Robert M. X'audain, John A. X'oasman, H.
F. O'X'eal. James ^I. Pendroy. S. Rickenbaugh. Jackson Reno. A. L. Rees,
Peter Rickenbaugh, Samuel P. Rees, John P. Scott.
Company A'— C. M. Cating. Samuel G. Grey. D. W. Hiatt. C. W. Har-
court. Joe KSndle.
FORTY-FIFTH INFANTRY TbATTALION) .
Coinpanx B — Captain Joseph R. Rodgers : First Lieutenant Thomas
Allum: Second Lieutenant Joshua J. Anderson: Sergeants S. ^^ Shellady.
William M. Bovd. Samuel S. Fowler, William Carter. William :^rills. Will-
2l8 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
iam A. Livingston; Corporals Cyrus liill. L. ilanimcr, A. Adamson,
Marion Please; Musicians H. L. Stern, John C. Schack; Wagoner
O. W. Burkhalter; Privates Thomas Adamson, \\'illiam J. Barrow, A. G.
Donnell William H. Estle. W. Eggert, B. Elliott. \^^ J. Graves, William
Hill. A. J. Honald, Edward E. Harris. John M. Hiskey, H. J. Iliff, L. Kes-
ter, John C. Kelley, A. S. Livingston, William W. Logsdon, Thomas J.
Long, J. N. Martin, D. U Mans, Benj. F. Meek, O. C. Meredith, C. W.
Post. ]\Iarion Pease. Homer Reyburn. S. H. Rees. John W. Sego, S. T.
Sparks. H. L. Stem. James Street, James M. Schooley, John Trotter, H. M.
Talbott, C. F. W^inslow.
FOURTH CAVALRY REGIMENT.
Compaiix ./ — James ]McIntosh.
Company E — Captain Exum R. Saint; Commissary Sergeant William
R. Matthews ; Sergeant William G. Work ; Corporal John Blackman ; Far-
rier D. M. Savage; Privates Eli E. Carson, Allen Davis, Robert J. Gaza-
way, John Jennings. D. W. Jones, J. ]\I. Kime. E. Mahler, John W. Rafferty,
J. J. Sparks, James Starr, Andes Turck.
Compan\ F — James L. Hume, W^illiam F. Minshall, John Thompson,
B. Volk.
Company K — Jonathan \\^right, John Mitchell (company not certain).
FIFTH VETERAN CAVALRY.
Company A — Thomas J. Smith, John Walker.
Company I — Captain Robert A. McKee ; Second Lieutenant John O. A.
Campbell; Robert Bain, Samuel Capel, William P. Fonts, William E. Gra-
ham, D. R. Loudenback, William Martino, E. McReynolds, B. F. Stearns,
George Gaston, Delos Williams.
SEVENTH CAVALRY.
Company E — John ]T. Stor}-, a saddler; ShulMll Hurt, David Ximms,
James E. Storey.
Company G — Captain Elias Flammer; Second Lieutenant Job S. Bcals;
Commissary Sergeant Benjamin R. Jones ; Corporals John M. Baker. James
T. Allen, John ]\1. Hammer. Malco Doud ; Wagoner H. Borton. Ferdinand
Adamson, Samuel Armstrong, James ¥. P)aker, A. J. Chenoweth, James C.
JASE'EH COLNTY, IOWA. 219
Friend, Frank Gifford, A. T. Hammer. James G. Hanawalt, Samuel Hen-
ning-s, J. F. Haines, Enos Hammer, M. H. Harper, I. R. Jordan, Thomas
K^err. F. P. Oldfield, John C. Piper, Charles Parks, George R. Rowe, James
A. Stephens, Edward R. Bell and A. Minnick (in unknown company of the
Se\enth Cavalry ) .
NINTH CAVALRY.
Company H — Corporal L. C. Draper; Adam Means, Silas Thornburg.
Company L — Captain Orlando C. Howe; First Lieutenant William W.
Moore; First Lieutenant Norris Richardson; Second Lieutenant Richard
Armstrong; Second Lieutenant David Scott; Commissary Sergeant H.
Mathies ; Sergeant George W. Bronson ; Sergeant John Murray ; Sergeant
James C. Painter; Corporals Xapoleon P. Church, Julius A. Baldwin, James B.
Scott. C. D. Knapp, O. P. Springer; Trumpeter William W. Allen; Trumpe-
ter James Bain; Wagoner A. McDonnell, George Anderson, Henry Baker.
W. H. Barton. George Brady. T. Broomhall, James F. Burroughs, Baxter
Banks. D. Y. Cross. James Clement. X. B. Collrell. A. J. Collrell, James
Drake. James Early, James R. Gentry, William Grubb, William A. Hankins,
C. H. Jennings. John W^ K^nox, William L. Kimberly, William Loaman.
John T. Leach. Milton Lee. Joseph Logsdon. John March. H. H. Maus.
C. H. Mendenhall, D. T. ^Ljrtimore. \A\ Mudgett, George Oldfield. D. H.
Parker, D. M. Priddy, William Reynolds, Jacob Reutson. William E.
Schooley, Foster Scott. George Sims, \\'illiam J. Stewart. F. Trotter, Purdy
Trager. Jacob Trevets. S. E. Welch. D. AL West, James ^^'ilson. Theodore
Winkler.
Company M — Second Lieutenant William H. Crotzer; Corporal C. R.
Squires.
MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS.
Second J'ctcra)! Infantry — Justus Dunn, J. F. Guthrie, J. C. Living-
ston. J. H. Trotter.
Fourth Infantry — [Musician Samuel Osborne; Corporals William. Bill-
ings and L. D. Bloom.
Sixth Infantry — Sergeant M. Holland, William H. Bolton, John Gard-
ner, J. J. Moore. M. Holland.
Seventh Infantry — H. C. McGill.
Eight Infantry — Captain David Ryan; Sergeant Robert Ryan. F.
McConnell. S. M. Peck. Lewis Scott.
Ninth Infantry — Joseph Koener.
220 JASPER COUXTV, IOWA.
Eleventh Infantry — Charles Rairden. C. C. Cloiul, R. ]\I. Davis, John
Dally, H. Fisher, U. M. Gable, William Goodrich, I. Higgins, L. P. Hazen,
Elias Humphries, H. Kandwig, Lewis Lobeer, O. K. Landrne, A. Lansing,
A. McCaiiley, R. Xeese. F. Xeese, Peter Peterson, R. R. Rovster, L. J. Roy-
ley.
fifteenth Infantry (Mustered out July 24, 1895) — Patrick Cotter, An-
drew Crouch, Alexander Corbin, J. ]\I. Dilton, Frank Emmerson, J. M. Hort-
man, W. T. Hiler, William Peterson. David Phillips, San Pierie, W. A.
Spencer, A. A. Woodard, William W^addell. David Webster.
Seventeenth Infantry — D. S. Reagan. T. S. Smith; Captain George W.
Deal; First Lieutenant Theodore Thompson. ]\I. H. Davis, Joseph A. Louden-
back; Corporal Elijah Carnahan. James George, C. Klaiser, F. Kinton, F.
McBride.
Eighteejith hifantry — S. A'. Shellady, Edward Rogers, John R. Scutt,
Adam Whiteman ; First Lieutenant John H. Harvey ; Sergeant John H. Har-
vey ; Corporal John W. Cattrell ; Corporal M. W. Settle, jNIayville Drake. H.
C. Farnsworth, William P. Holmes, John P. Johnson.
Twenty- fourth Infantry— Isaac Anderson.
Thirty-second Infantry — John McFarland, C. A. Stone.
Thirty-third Infantry — James H. Bates, Holland Myers. Thomas Dun-
naway, Delano [Myers. D. A^anXoss.
Thirty-sixth Infantry — Theodore Brown, John Herring, H. T. Dimmitt,
Joseph M. Scott.
Thirty-ninth Infantry — Samuel E. Thornton.
Forty-sixth Infantry — Sergeants Milo Cowan, George Baxter, Albert
Harrah. Seth W. Macy, Joseph Shorer.
Forty-seventh Infantry — Chaplain James P. Roach; Corporal James W.
Davidson, C. Means, D. M. Pruny.
First Ccevalry — Quartermaster Samuel C. Dickerson ; Sergeant James
G. Rutter; Captain Charles Dustin ; Sergeant James H. McCord ; Corporal
Peter B. Greaves; D. M. McCord, James E. Arnold, John S. Davis, James
J. Gray, W. P. Kimberly. David Rutter, L H. Wildman.
Second Cavalry — Corporal Elias Thatcher ; A. T. Sims, George W. Poore.
John R. Seelev, William H. Shoewalter, James S. Smith, H. C. Smith, John
B. Kuhns, H. B. Seeley.
Third Cavalry — John F. Offil, Alexander Snodgrass, Cororal Ransom
Sumney; Wagoner Daniel A. Buckhalter; T. S. Donnell, James H. Harvey,
H. C. Vaughn, Joseph X^. Box, E. B. Carr, Orris Carter, William C. Goodman,
David Hankins, M. T. Xorris, Robert Sterritty, Robert Stallcop, Henry Smith,
James H. Morgan, M. S. Morris, T. J. Sinclair.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA,
22 I
Sixth Cavalry — E. C. Stephens.
Eighth Cavalry — William Rundy, John Friend. Jasper Robinson, Finley
Sterrett.
First Infantry, A. D., Co. E. (Sixth United States Volunteers A. D.) —
Captain George F, Work; Sergeant John Green: Corporals H. Hayes, D.
Siegel. H. Jones; Captain Alexander Nichols; A. E. Fine. S. F. Gordon. C.
Graves. A. Hays. Lewis Castleton. T. E. Marshall. Austin Samuels, John
Shearer, William Tait. W. Wolden. Jerry Wilson.
Dodge's Brigade Band — George A. Bluem. \^ernon A\\ Skiff. James F.
Needham. John F. Lister, John P. Strator. James Smith. Samuel Failor,
Charles Gilman.
Sixty-sixth Illinois Infantry — John Briggs.
Third Missouri Cavalry — ^^'illiam Jordan.
THE county's death ROLL.
If it can truthfully be said that. ''It is good for one to die for his coun-
try,'' Jasper county certain!}' acted well her part from 1861 to 1866. Out of
the almost fourteen hundred men who went forth to the field, about one hun-
dred and seventy fell on the battle field, or died from other army causes, and
never reached home alive. The following may. and possibly may not. be a
complete list of the honored dead. This list is one compiled from the adjutant-
general's reports published from 1863 to 1866, inclusive, and there may be
errors and omissions. The latest military work on Iowa soldiers is not yet
out of press, hence the following will be given :
Adamson, D. N.
Armentrout. D. R.
Atha. C. H.
Andreas. F. W.
Alloway. Abisha
Beath. T. E.
Bodley. J. D.
Be van. A.
Blackwood. L
Byerley. \\'illiam H.
Boyer, Jacob
Brown, S. B.
Baker. Charles P.
Bair. Emanuel
Bennett. Adam
Butters. W. H.
Baxter, William W.
Beals. A. F.
Blasdell. William
Bargenhaulz, J.
Brodess, John W.
Brady, George
Bolten. William H.
Cure. Abel L.
Cottrell. M. W.
Cushatt, Jas. T.
Connor, Daniel E.
Callison. A. P.
Cozad. Jacob C.
Cline, P. ^L
Connelly, L. J.
Connellv, ^L
Clements. James
Dibble, Milo
Derringer. H. C.
Duncan. E. D.
Dickerson, Samuel C.
Easterday, A. P.
Edmonds, E.
Erickson. J.
English. Thomas
Etherington, Phillip
Flemming. Job
Fisher. William H.
Flemry, A.
Frazier. E.
Plover, David
Fowler, H. C.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Green, John L.
Goodacre. Robert
Grooms. S. C.
Gravatt. T. H.
Gould. F. W.
Hunter. Jacob
Huff. John
Hammack, John
H ousel, Thomas H.
Hawk. H. T.
Hamilton. James 'M.
flackett. Jonas P.
Helphrey. S. W.
Hendricks. H. W.
Hopping-. John
Herring". Abel
Haines. John \V.
Hammel. S.
Hunnel. J. F.
Hart. William
Hammack. A.
Haxton. William H.
Hil singer. J. ^^T.
7 laves. S.
Ja\-. Thomas H.
Jordan. William P.
Jeffries. F. T.
Jordan. John
Jones, G. T.
Knapp. C. D.
Kenady, J. R.
Kuhus. John B.
Kawapot. C.
Kerr. \\''esley
Faudenback. D. R.
Fongfellow. E. E.
T-inton. H. B.
Ij'kins. Thomas N.
Lowe, George W.
McConnell. F.
McCollough. Jas. P.
McLaughlin. E. R.
McKeever. George
McCary. Rich
^[cWilliams. H.
McDonald. T. F.
Mudgett. Fliillip
>ranning, John
Moore. Jacob B.
^Toss. J. W.
Mateer. Alex C.
Xelson. N. G.
Xewcomer. S. F.
Xewhouse. J.
Xorris. David H.
Oblenis. William
Powell, G. B.
Foots. William
Parks. T. J.
Pease. Andrew
Powers. J. W.
Parker. F.
Poage. S. W.
Parks. Jasper H.
Filler. O. B.
Pevton. John L.
Pope. A. T.
Rippey. William F,
Rees. A. L.
Rees. Samuel P.
Runyon, William H.
Rice. Francis
Reno. Jackson
Samei. James H.
Shelley. L. F.
Stem. J.
Streett, James
Sln-eck. J. K.
Shutts, Joseph F.
Stott. Thomas
Scott. Foster
Skiff'. J. M.
Smith, James
Scarbrough, S.
Scoville, Bennett
Street. \V. W.
Shipp. Thomas
Shill. G W.
Shook. J. R.
Swaggert. John
Spurling. J. T.
Sturgeon. D. T.
Sprunce. Levi
Sturgeon. A.
Smith, Alvoy
Swan. M. F.
Sego. Solomon
Smith. L. D.
Taylor. James
Taylor. James C.
Trotter. James N.
Thornton. Samuel E.
A^anGrundy. L.
A'anGrundy. William W.
A^anHorn. D. AF.
WanHorn. O. F.
WanFossen, H.
Weston, Benjamin F.
A\'ren, John
Watt. James
Weston. G. W.
\\'alker. Enos
Winterhalter. L W.
Williams. Robert
Wolf. Geo. W.
Wetzel. Joseph
^^'allace. John
West. Jacob
Willock. Tohn
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA. 223
THE JASPER GRAYS.
This military company was organized in January, 1876. with the follow-
ing- officers: Than Townsend, captain; J. L. Mathers', first lieutenant; Al J-
Richards. second lieutenant; Al W'vkoff, J. R. K;. Lamb. Newton Smith,
Henry M. Rose, sergeants ; Zach Stokes. William S. Ferguson. Herbert Rose,
George Failor, corporals. The uniform selected was navy blue, trimmed in
fine style. The company was immediately armed with S])ringfiel(l breech-
loading ritles. In 1S78 there were forty-five names on the roll. The company
was sworn into state ser\ice April 30. iS/H, and was under orders in the riots
of 1877, and were also a part of the escort of the lamented Cien. X. V. Baker.
^^•hose remains they followed to the grave.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
President William AIcKinley's proclamation ordering war between the
United States and Spain was issued April 23. 1898. and read as follows :
"Whereas, a joint resolution of Congress was approved on the 20th dav
of April. 1898. entitled 'Joint Resolution for the recognition of the indepen-
dence of the people of Cuba, demanding that the government of Spain relin-
quish its authority and government in the island of Cuba, and to withdraw
its land and na\-al forces from Cul)a and Cuban waters, and directing the Presi-
dent of the United States to use the land and naval forces of the United States
to carry these resolutions into effect.' and
'AVhereas by an act of Congress entitled 'An act to ])ro\ ide for temporar-
ily increasing the militar\- establishment of the United States in time of war
and for other purposes,' approved April 22, 1898. the President is authorized,
in order to raise a volunteer army, to issue his proclamation calling for volun-
teers to serve in the army of the United States :
''Nbw, therefore. T, A\'illiam McKinley, President of the I'nited States.
by virtue of the power vested in me by the constituticMi and the laws, and
deeming sufficient occasion to exist, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby
do call forth, volunteers to the aggregate number of one hundred and twenty-
five thousand, in order to carrv into effect the purpose of said resolution; the
same to be apportioned, as far as practicable, among the several states and
territories and the District of Columbia, according to the population, and to
serve two vears. unless sooner discharged. The details for this object will be
immediatelv communicated to the proper authorities tlu-ough the war depart-
ment.
224 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
"Done at the city of Washington, this 23d day of April, A. D. 1898, and
in the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second.
"William McKinley.
[Seal]
"By the President :
John Sherman,
"Secretary of State."
On April i, 1898. the following was the roster of the Iowa National
Guard at Newton, as comprising Company L, Second Regiment :
Henry T. Kennedy, first lieutenant ; William E. McMurray, second lieu-
tenant : Alva Baker, Hemy ]\I. Burnett. Harry Barber. Albert B. Bryant,
Walter H. Boyd, Frank Besack. Frank H. Boat. Roland E. Benjamin, Frank
H. Clements. Eugene M. Errett, Charles H. Fox, Pearl G. Gibford, John W.
Hendryx. Marion R. Flammer, John Hayes, Harry T. Lewis, Thomas B. Law,
William H. Montgomery, Will L. Maus, Hany C. A. Miller, Harry J. Mc-
Murray, Thomas F. Alorrissey, George W. Ohler, A. L. Parish, James M.
Richmond. Charles H. Ruberg, Arthur Reynolds, Guy H. Smith, George Selb-
her, Harry A. Stallings, George W. Turner, Fred E. Wilson, I. O. Wilson,
William S. Westbrook, Arthur P. Woods, William H. Wert, John C. Wert,
R. A. K. ^^llson, Albert F. Williams, Fred H. Wells, William M. \^^^-ick,
Lewis E. Young.
When the troops made up from the National Guards were finally mustered
into the service of the United States, those from Iowa took the regimental
numbers of the state, commencing where the last number left off in Civil war
times. Those from Newton and Jasper county were in the regiments named
below :
THE forty-ninth REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized from the Il'rst Regiment of Iowa National
Guards; was ordered into Camp McKinley. Des Moines, Iowa, by the Gov-
ernor on the 25th day of April, 1898, mustered into the service of the United
States by Capt. J. A. Olmstead. United States Army, at Des Moines, June
2, 1898; left Des Moines, June 11, 1898, by rail for Jacksonville. Florida;
assigned to the Third Brigade, Second Division. Seventh Army Corps; moved
to Savannah. Georgia, October 25, 1898, and to Havana, Cuba. December 19,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 225
1898. Companies V, C, H, K, A and I returned to the United States, April 5,
1899, for mnster-oiit. Headquarters band and companies L., M, K, 1), G, and B
returned to the United States, April 9, 1899. for muster-out. The whole
regiment, January 1. 1899. particii)ated in the ceremonies attending the evac-
uation of Havana by the Spaniards. Hie regiment was mustered out of the
United States service at Savannah, Georgia, on the 13th day of May, 1899.
Those serving from Jasper county in Company L were : Amos J. Under-
wood, Elliott E. Lambert (colonel). John C. Trease, Howard T. Gibford,
Swain Dennis, Ezra G, Baird. Frank E. Besack, John Wert, Thomas F. Mor-
risey, Burrell Owens. Fletcher H. Helm, Andrew J. Streeter, James W.
Vaughn, Thomas B. Law, Hennan: E. Dahlgren, Ike O. Wilson, Clarence G.
Errett, John McFarlane, John W. Callahan, Alexander S. Crawford, Fred H.
Coleman. Thomas W. Corrigan, Homer Vasco Clutter, Frank Leroy Harsha.
John A. Hayes, Horatio S. Howard, Albert L. Kennedy, Carl D. iCiser, Henry
A. McKinney, Bertram Mendenhall, William J. O'Neill, Fred L. Shrader.
Arthur E. Small, Charles P. Smith, Perry E. Spencer, Jesse R. Stallings, Ed
C. Stevenson, Andrew J. Streeter, James \Y. Vaughn, Bazil W^ells, Leonard
A. Wells.
FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized from the Third Regiment of Iowa National
Guards ; was ordered into quarters at Camp McKinley, Des Moines. Iowa, by
the Governor, on the 25th day of April, 1898; mustered into sen-ice of the
United States by Capt. J. A. Olmstcad, United States Army, at Des Moines
May 30, 1898; left Des Moines June 5, 1898, by rail for San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, per telegram from war department ; arrived in Camp Merritt. San
Francisco. June 10. 1898; removed to Camp Merriman, Presidio, July 29,
1898; eml)arked on board transport ''Pennsylvania," at San Francisco. No-
vember 3. 1898; arrived at Honolulu Novem1)er 12. 1898. arriving at Manila
Bay, Philippine Island. December 7. 1898; remained on transport in Manila
Bav until December 26. 1898. upon which date the regiment sailed for Iloilo,
arriving at the latter i)]acc Decem1)er 28. 1898; remained on board the trans-
port in Iloilo Bay until January 29. 1899. upon which date they sailed for
Cavite, arriving January 31. 1899: disembarked from transport February 3.
1899. and went into quarters at Cavite. The regiment participated in the oc-
cupation of San Roque. February 9. 1899. and the various companies were in
the following engagements of the Philippine expedition: Gaudalupe church.
Ouingua. East and ^^'est Pulilan. Calumpit. Santo Tomas. San Fernando,
Calulut, Angeles.
(15)
226 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
September 0. 1899, the regiment was moved to Manila preparatory to
returning to the United States; sailed on transport "Senator,'" September 22,
1899. arriving at San Francisco, California, October 22, 1899; mustered out
of service of the United States jMovember 2, 1899. ^^ San Francicso, Cal-
ifornia.
In this regiment there were soldiers from Jasper county as follows : Fred
S. Carpenter, Joseph \'. House, Herbert W. Marshall.
FIFTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized from the Fourth Regiment of Iowa Na-
tional Guards, and was designed to go to Porto Rico, but never left this coun-
try, being stationed at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, and were mustered out
at Des Moines in October, 1898. Only two from Jasper county served in
this regiment, Qiarles A. Leonard, of Mingo, and Robert H. Rose, of Van-
dalia.
GRAND ARMY' OF THE REPUBLIC.
The Grand Army of the Republic is composed of men who placed their
lives at the disposal of their government for the preservation of the Union
during the years of 1861 to 1865. They are organized to continue the frater-
nal comradeship which grew out of their associations in a common cause, and
the seeking of a common end — "The perpetuity of the Union.'' To teach
coming generations by precept, as well as by example, a reverence for our
flag, a love for our country, and the continuance of a "government of the
people, by the people and for the people." Also to care for the needy soldiers,
widows and orphans. Its motto and its practice is, "Fraternity, charity and
loyalty."
Garrett Post No. 16. Department of Iowa, located at Newton, Iowa, was
organized and mustered in on the 20th day of August, 1879, ^"*^ ^^^^ named
in honor of Col. John A. Garrett, who entered the military service in the war
of the Rebellion August. 1861, as captain of Company I, Tenth Iowa Infantry,
and was mustered out at the close of the war as colonel of the Fortieth Iowa
Infantry. Colonel Garrett died at his home in Newton, Iowa, January 23,
1877. This post now has a membership of aljout seventy-five Civil war
soldiers and two Spanish-American soldiers.
The 191 1 officers are: J. W. Donavan, commander; J. W. Longley,
senior vice-commander; T. M. Rodgers, junior vice-commander; A. Dennison,
quartermaster; J. R. Sitler, adjutant; J. D. Edge, officer of the day; John
Potter, chaplain.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 22/
With the return of each Memorial day the old \eterans take charge of
the services and decorate the graves of the one hundred and sixty soldiers
now buried in the City ceinetery. in a \ery befitting and truly touching manner.
OTHER POSTS IX JASPER COUNTY,
The Grand Army is also represented at the following points within Jas-
per county: E. H. Keyes Post No. 511, at jMingo; Shellady Post Xo. 84,
at Monroe; McGray Post Xo. 27, at Prairie City; Alloway Po.st Xo. 106. at
Lynnville; E. D. Duncan Post No. 253, at Colfax; General Wilson Post No.
432, at Kellogg; Garrett Post No. 16, at Newton. There was a post at
Baxter, but on account of the death and removal of many of the members their
charter has probably been surrendered.
Nearly if not all of the posts have had connected with them manv years
the helpful auxiliary of the Woman's Relief Corps.
THE PASSING OF THE "gRAND ARMY."
As the years speed by the ranks of the Grand Army posts are fast dis-
banding through the inroads of death. Perhaps no more eloquent passage
along this theme can be here narrated than that recently delivered by Sant
Kirkpatrick to his comrades of the Hornet's X>st Brigade, at Oskaloosa.
Iowa, in April, 1911, when, in closing his well-timed address to the boys
who once wore the loyal blue, he remarked :
"To me. an occasion like this, in a great measure, is an hour of sorrow,
a never ending day of mourning. The length and breadth and depth of the
wounds and scars occasioned by that cruel war are as a poisoned arrow, the
shaft of which has deeply pierced the heart of every true American citizen.
"Comrades, you and I have passed the meridian of life ; we are now going
down the decline on the other side, and I feel sometimes as if all creation was
greased for the occasion.
"W^ith you and T. the morning of life has gone, somber shades of even-
ing are gathering closely around about us, we have heard the reveille at sun
rise and listened to the tattoo of night, and taps, yes, taps, that once betokened
the extinguishment of lights, now come reverljerating back as the heralds of
death.
"Another decade and many of us will have crossed the bar, another score
of years and nearly, or quite all of us. will have answered the roll call of
228 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
eternity, and not only the Grand Army of the Republic, but the grandest
army of the world, will haye passed into history.
' "Already the great majority of those with whom we once touched
elbows have crossed the riyer. Would you behold them today ?^ If so, then
come with me and draw aside as it were the veil of immortality."
CHAPTER XV.
THE BENCH AND BAR OF JASPER COUNTY.
Wherever laws are enacted, there will always be need for capable and
honorable lawyers to interpret and help put into execution the enforcement
of legal enactments. The day has long since passed when the honorable
attorney at law is looked upon as any but a member of one of earth's most
useful professions, one needed in every intelligent community. He it is who
helps us apply law to daily life. Changes comes in law. and hence the more
need of a lawyer to point out such changes to his client, that he may not err
in transacting his business. The discoveries of the arts and sciences, the in-
ventions of new contrivances for lalx)r. and the increase of development
in commerce are all new unexplored fields into which law must delve and it
must needs be handled by competent lawyers who ha\e been schooled in the
science of their own i)eculiar ]M-ofession. Hence the lawyer is a man of the
day — a needful factor in ad\anced civilization.
It is to be regretted that no more complete record has l)een kept of the
Jasper county bar than has 1>een made, for it would be read with no little inter-
est today, to note the many trials, and who were the combating attorneys who
took part in the same, during all the years of the county's history. All that
can be learned for the reader of this chapter of the county's history is found
in the following", a carefully compiled statement of facts as they ha\e been
picked up, here and there, from memory and record, bringing the list of at-
torneys down to the present, and trying to give a fairly comprehensive
glimpse into the earlier lawyers and judges of this county and district. The
publishers are indebted to Hon. \V. G. Clements, who has compiled the follow-
ing excellent account of the bench and bar:
There is no record of any court ha^•ing l)een held in Jasper county ])rior
to November 23. 1848. However, according to tradition and information
gained from the old settlers, the first term of court was held in the spring of
1846, at the house of Matthew D. Springer, in what is now Buena Arista
township, and was presided o\ er by Judge Williams, of ^luscatine.
Judge Williams was elected supreme judge in 1846 or 1847. ^^^^^^ ^^'^s
succeeded on the bench by Judge William McKay. The court record indi-
cates that Judge ^IcKay held a term of court in Newton in June, 1849. ^^
230 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
which term Hon. William H. Seevers was appointed prosecuting attorney.
Judge McKay lived at Des Moines and continued to preside as judge of the
district court of Jasper county until about July. 1854, when he was succeeded
by Judge C. J. McFarland. who resided at Boonesboro.
Judge McFarland held the different terms of the district court of Jasper
county until 1857. Judge McFarland was quite austere and abrupt in his
manners, and if any person incurred his displeasure, such person was very
sure to be reminded of the same in a very severe manner. At the first term
of court held by Judge McFarland in Xewton in 1854. the Hon. H. J. Skiff
incurred the displeasure of the Judge, for the reason that Skiff opposed the
election of ^^IcFarland (both being Democrats). Skiff claiming that McFar-
land was not a proper person to be judge on account of his inebriacy. There-
fore. McFarland sought to get revenge by ordering Skiff to sit down when
he arose to address the court in reference to some case. Skiff refused to
complv with the order of the Judge, and told the Judge that he had a right to
talk in that court. Thereupon, the Judge fined him ten dollars for contempt.
Skiff' told him to "pile it on." and the Judge doubled the fine. The quarrel con-
tinued until Skiff stood indebted to the school fund in the sum of one hun-
dred and fifty dollars. The Judge ordered the clerk to make out a commit-
ment, who suggested to his honor that he could not get it served. The com-
mitment was delivered to the sheriff', but it was not served. In the evening,
the attorneys all met for consultation at Skiff's residence. The next morning
when court opened, the attorneys by agreement continued all their cases,
whereupon the Judge ordered the sheriff to adjourn the court. The contempt
cases against Skiff were appealed by him to the supreme court, and McFar-
land's judgments were set aside. ( See State vs. Skiff. 2d Iowa Supreme Court
Report, page 550.) Judge McFarland died in Boonesboro when only alxjut
forty years of age.
Judge McFarland was succeeded as district judge by Hon. William AT.
Stone, of Knoxville. Judge Stone resigned in March. 1861. and enlisted in
the Union army. He afterwards became colonel of the Twenty-second
Regiment of Iowa \'olunteer Infantry, and in the fall of 1863 was elected
governor of the state of Iowa, which position he held for a term of four vears.
and was one of the war governors of Iowa during the Rebellion. Judge Stone
was afterwards commissioner of the general land office at Washington. D. C,
having Ijeen appointed by President Harrison. Afterwards he removed to
the Territory of Oklahoma, where he died Jul}' t8. 1893, and his l)(")dv was
brought to Knoxville for burial. Upon the resignation of Judge Stone in
March. 1861. William Loughridge. of Oskaloosa. was appointed district
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 23 1
]
judge, and continued to hold court in the sixth judicial district and in Jasper
county until January i, 1867. Afterwards Judge Loughridge became a mem-
ber of Congress from the sixth congressional district of Iowa, serving in that
capacity several terms. Judge Loughridge died several years ago, and is buried
at Oskaloosa. Iowa.
On Januar}' i, 1867, Judge Loughridge was succeeded by lUm. K. S.
Sampson. Judge Sampson was an ideal judge, very reserved in his' man-
ner, cool and deliberate, and was highly respected by all who knew him.
During the Civil war he was lieutenant-colonel ot the Fifth hnva Regiment
of Volunteer Infantry. After his retirement from the l)ench. he was elected
to Congress and served one term. Afterwards he engaged in the practice of
law at Sigourney, Iowa, where he died October 7, 1892.
Judge Sampson was succeeded on the district bench by Hon. H. S.
Winslow. of Newton. January i. 1873. ^"^^^ served until January i, 1879.
Judge Winslow was a good lawyer and a competent, painstaking judge.
On January i. 1870. he was succeeded by Hon. J. C. Cook, of Xewton.
now residing at Cedar Rapids. Judge Cook continued to occupv the dis-
trict bench until January i, 1883. at which time Judge J. K. Johnson of
Oskaloo,sa. was elected district judge, and lield the different terms of
district court in Xewton, until January i. 1887.
Under the law enacted in 1868. from 1868 to 1887. in addition to the
district court, there was what was denominated the circuit court, having
jurisdiction of all ci\il cases and probate matters. When the circuit court
was instituted in 1868, Hon. H. S. Winslow. of X^ewton. was elected judge
of the second circuit of the sixth judicial district, and entered i\\K)n his duties
Januar\- i. 1869, and held the ofifice of circuit judge for one year, resigning
to engage in the practice of law. He was succeeded l)y Hon. S. X. Lindley.
of X^ewton. to that position and Judge Lindley continued to ser\ e in that ca-
pacity as circuit judge until January i. 1873, after which Hon. L. C. Blanch-
ard. of Oskaloosa. served as circuit judge until 1880. and was succeeded by
Hon. W. R. Lewis, of Montezuma, who served until the circuit court was
abolished. January i. 1887. at which time it was provided by law that the
sixth judicial district would be entitled to three district judges, and in the
fall of 1886 Hon. David Ryan, of Xewton. was elected as one of the judges
of the district, together with Hon. J. K. Johnson, of Oskaloosa. and Hon.
W. R. Lewis, of ^lontezuma. Judge Lewis served until January i. 1891,
and was succeeded by Hon. A. R. Dewey, of Washington, who served un-
til Tanuarv i. 1903- J^idge Johnson served until lie died in 1894. and was
succeeded bv Hon. Ben McCoy, of Oskaloosa. \\ho was appointed by the
2^2 lASPER COUN'IV, IOWA.
governor to fill the vacancy and ser\e the l)alance of Jncl,o-e Johnson's term;
he was elected in the fall of 1894 to tlie office of indge for the term com-
mencing- jannary i, 1895, ^^"^^ served nntil Jannary 1. 1899. Jndge Ryan
served as district judge until January i. 1899, and was succeeded by W. G.
Clements, of Newton, who served until January 1. 191 1. Judge McCoy
was succeeded by Hon. John T. Scott, of Brooklyn, who served two terms
until Januarv t. 1908, and was then succeeded l>y Hon. K. E. Willcockson,
of Sigournev, who is now one of the judges, serving his second term. On
January i. 1903. Judge Dewey was succeeded by B. W. Preston, of O.ska-
loosa, who is now one of the judges, and ser\'ing his third term. Judge
Clements serxed three terms and was succeeded by Hon. John F. Talbot, of
Brooklyn, who is now one of the judges of the district. l'"oin- terms of
court are held during the year in Jasper county, and each of the district
judges have alternatel}' held the terms of court in the county as provided
by law.
JASPER COUNTY ATTORNEYS.
From the time of the institution of the district court in Jasper county,
many noted cases were tried. From 1868 to 1884 there were two terms of
the district court and four terms of the circuit court held in Jasper countv
each year, and from 1870 to 1880 the dockets of the different courts were
crowded with cases and kept the court busy each term for four weeks, but
of late years, litigation has ceased at least one half as compared with the
period above mentioned.
The names of some of the pioneer lawyers who took an active ])art in
the court proceedings are as follows: H. J. Skiff, Thomas H. Miller. S. d.
Smith, O. C. Howe, H. S. Winslow, S. N. Lindley. G. R. Shays, J. W. Wil-
son, J. W. Sennett, D. L. Clark, David Ryan, Robert Ryan J. C. Cook, Hugh
Newell, George E. Spencer, J. G. Meek, H. W. Gleason, J. W. Deweese.
D. O. Stuart. R. A. Sankey. A. K. Campbell. S. J. ^^loyer, S. S. Patterson,
Sidney Williams, W'illiam Howard, Don Carlos, Jonathan X. Edgar, of
whom mention will be made.
Hon. H. J. Skiff came to Newton from New ^'ork in 1850, and actively
engaged in the practice of law. Mr. Skiff* was a graduate of Amherst Col-
lege, and was a leading member of the bar shortly after coming to Newton.
He was a member of the third constitutional convention of Towa. which was
held at Iowa City in 1857. representing the counties of Poweshiek. Marsliall.
Tama and Jasper. He took an active part in the con\-ention. and was greatly
instrumental in formulating the present constitution of Towa. .\fterwards
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 233
he retired from the practice and en.^as^ed in the banking- lousiness in New-
ton, nntil the outbreak of the Civil war, when lie enlisted in Companv B,
Thirteenth Iowa Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, and served as captain of
the company from 1862 to 1864. After the war he engaged in commercial
pursuits, and died in Newton in November. 1904.
Thomas H. Miller came to Newton from Cumberland countv. Pennsyl-
vania, in December. 1856. and immediately formed a partnership with if. S.
Winslow. under the style and firm name of Miller & Winslow. This firm
continued in the practice of law until July. 1861. at which time Mr. Miller
enlisted in Company B of the Thirteenth Ivegiment of Iowa Volunteer In-
fantry and was captain of the company, serving with distinction and bravery
in the battle of Shiloh, and while leading his company into the battle he fell,
mortally wounded, on April 6. 1862, and died of his wounds on Mav 13, 1862.
His body was brought to Newton for burial. Mr. ATiller was a good lawyer
and a thorough gentleman.
Hon. S. G. Smith was born in Greene county, New York, May 22. 183 1.
He attended college at Oberlin, Ohio. Was admitted to the bar in March,
1857. at Columbus, Ohio. In XoxTUiber of that year he removed to New-
ton, Iowa, and commenced the practice of law. In August, 1862, he was
commissioned major of the Fortieth Iowa X^olunteer Infantry, and held
this position until 1864, when he resigned. He then returned to Newton and
resumed the practice of law. Was mayor of Newton, state senator in the
ninth General Assembly and the extra session of the ninth General Assem-
bly, and was district attorney of the sixth judicial district for four years.
Was president of the board of directors of the State Normal School. .\t
one time he was a member of the firm of Smith & Wilson, attorneys. He
continued the practice of his profession until about four years before his
death, and on account of failing health retired from the practice. He died
in Newton November 5, 1890.
Hon. O. C. Howe was born December 19, 1824, at Williamstown, \'er-
mont. He finished his education at Aurora Academy. Studied law at Buf-
falo. New York. In the fall of 1855 he came to Jasper county where he en-
gaged in the practice of law for a short time. In the summer of 1856 he
went to Spirit Lake. Iowa, and (Organized Dickerson county and located
the countv seat. Afterward he returned to Newton preparatory to moving
his goods and chattels to Spirit Lake. On his return to Spirit Lake, he
found the Indians had massacred all of the white people in and around that
section. He was elected count\' judge of Dickinson county. In 1858 he
was elected district attorncv for tliat district. .\t that time the district em-
234 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
braced nearly one-fourth of the area of the entire state. In 1862 he returned
to Newton, and soon thereafter he enUsted and was made captain of Com-
pany L, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, and remained with the organization until the
time of his discharge, in November, 1864. after which he returned to New-
ton and formed a partnership for the practice of law with A. K. Campbell,
until 1875. when he was appointed resident professor in the law depart-
ment of the State University at Iowa City, and remained at Iowa City until
1 88 1, when he removed to Anthony, Kansas, going into partnership there
with James McPhee. where he remained in the practice until his death, which
occurred in August, 1899.
Hon. H. S. Winslow was born at Pittsford. \^ermont. July 18, 1837.
and came to Jasper county with his parents in 1856. He formed a partner-
ship in December. 1856, with Thomas H. Miller, said firm practicing under
the style and firm name of Miller & Winslow, until Mr. Miller enlisted in
the Thirteenth Regiment of Iowa \^olunteers. In 1862 Mr. Winslow was
elected district attorney of the sixth judicial district of Iowa, and served in
that capacity for four years. In 1868 he was elected judge of the second
circuit of the sixth judicial district for a term of four years. At the end
of one year he resigned this office and resumed the practice of his profession
until 1874, when he was elected judge of the sixth judicial district, and con-
tinued to hold that position until January i, 1879. Afterward he resumed
the practice of law and continued in the practice until his death, which oc-
curred December 11, 1899. In 1894 the supreme court of the state appointed
Judge Winslow one of the commissioners to revise and codify the laws of
Iowa. To this work he brought not only his rare and ripe experience and
knowledge of the law s, but the same indefatigable energy that characterized
his whole life. Few men were more diligent, industrious or faithfully de-
voted to the profession than Judge Winslow. By his death there went
down one of the strongest towers of the profession, one distinguished in the
state, both as an advocate at the bar and a jurist on the 1)ench.
G. R. Shays came to Newton from the state of New York about the
year 1858. and commenced the practice of law, and devoted himself actively
to the practice until 1868, when he formed a |)artnership with Robert Ryan,
under the firm name and style of Shays &- Ryan. The firm continued in the
practice until the death of Mr. Shays, which occurred May 18, 1870. Little
is known of the previous history of ^Ir. Shays, but he was a tower of strength
in the trial of a case. He was over six feet in height and a great athlete.
The writer remembers of his delivering an address at the court house to
the first company of \olunteers that left Jasper county in the Civil war and
his speech was an elocjuent effort and inspired enthusiasm and patriotism.
JASPER COUXTV, IOWA. 235
Hon. J. W. Wilson was born August 8, 1837. in Lawrence county.
Pennsylvania. He received his education at Mt. Union College, in the same
state. Was admitted to the practice of law at Medina. Ohio, Septeml>er 21,
1855. The following year he removed to Xewton. Iowa. Tn October. 1861.
he was elected county judge, which office he held until the following Aug-
ust, when he resigned to enter the United States militar}- ser\ice, which he
did as a private in Company K. Twenty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. In
1864 he was promoted to be adjutant of his regiment, which position he held
until the close of the \\ar. He then returned to Xewton and resumed the
practice of his profession. He formed a partnership with Hon. H. S. Wins-
low, which partnership continued until Mr. Winslow was elected to the
district Ijench. Mr. Wils()n then formed a partnership with Hon. S. G.
Smith, which continued until atout 1879, then again formed a partnership
with Mr. \\"inslow and remained a member of said firm and engaged ac-
tively in the practice until a short time before his death, which occurred
May 6, 1887. During his lifetime he took a great interest in ^Masonry. Was
a Knight Templar, and was elected grand master of the grand lodge of Iowa
Masons and continued to hold that exalted position for two terms. He was
a true friends, and many a young member of the profession recollects him
with gratitude for his kindly advice.
J. \V. Sennett was one of the pioneer members of the profession, and
engaged in the practice of law in X'ewton, commencing about the year 1854
or 1855, until November 15, 1862. when he enlisted in the militar\' service
of the United States, and was captain of Company E. Fortieth Regiment of
Iowa \^olunteer Infantry, serving in that capacity with distinction until
August, 1864, after which he resumed the practice of law in Xewton for a
time, and then removed to Jasper county. Missouri, and engaged in the prac-
tice of law until alx)ut the year of 1907. at which time his death occurred.
D. L. Clark came to Xewton alx)ut the year 1854 or 1855 and engaged
in the practice of law successfully until he entered the banking business in
Newton and continued in that business until his death, which (xcurred Sep-
tember 20. 1904. He was a successful lawyer and a man of excellent judg-
ment and a good financier. For a short time he was in the practice of law
he was in partnership with Robert Ryan.
Hon. David Ryan was born in Washington county, Xew ^'ork. March
15, 1840, and came to Jasi)er county with his parents in 1857, settling on a
farm about two miles south of Prairie City. He was educated in the com-
mon schools of Xew York and Iowa, and at Central University at Pella.
He left college in 1861 and enlisted as a private in Company E. Eighth
2^() JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
Iowa Infantry. He finally became captain of his company. He participated
in the Battle of Shiloh where he was captured and spent six months in Rebel
prisons W'hen the Civil war ended, he had attained the rank of colonel. Re-
turning to college, he graduated in 1867. and in the fall of that year he began
the practice, which he continued a part of the time alone and a i)art of the time
in partnership, first with Judge Lindlev and then with his brother, Robert
Ryan, and later with W . O. McElroy. He was elected to the Legislature
of the state, and was an efficient memlier of the ele\'enth (leneral Assembly.
In 1886 he was elected to the district l)ench, which position he filled with
credit for tweh'e years. At the exi)iration of his third term on the bench, he
removed to Des Moines where, with ^^^illiam Phillips and his two sons. J.
W. Ryan and \\'. L. Ryan, he formed the firm of Phillips, Ryan & Ryan, and
on the subsequent death of Mr. Phillips, continued as Ryan, Ryan & Ryan
up to the death of Judge Ryan, which occurred June 19, 1905. He was suc-
cessful at every point of his useful career and. personally, was an excellent
g'entleman. He had many friends wherever he was known. At the time
of his death he was ])resident of the Des Moines Bar Association, and his
funeral was largely attended bv many friends and members of the bar. com-
ing from distant parts of the state.
Hugh Xewell was one of the pioneer memljers of the bar of Jasper
county, having emigrated to Xewton in 1855, and a short time thereafter
was admitted to the bar on September 12. 1855. He engaged actively in the
practice of law for several years, after which he retired and engaged in
other pursuits in Jasper county, where he died February 26, 1895.
Hon. J. C. Cook was born at Tiffin, Ohio, December 2f), 1846, and re-
ceived his education at Heidelberg College. He was admitted to the bar
in 1867 and the same year came to N'ewton and actively engaged in the prac-
tice of the law. At one time he was in jiartnership with R. C. Clark, who
emigrated to Kansas. In 1876 he was nominated for attorne}- general by
the Democratic party of Iowa. In 1878 he was elected district judge of the
sixth judicial district of Iowa, and served a term of four vears. After-
wards he was elected to Congress from the sixth congressional district.
Thereafter he became attorney for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway
Company, with headcpiarters at Eagle (irove. Iowa. He is now attorney
for the Chicago. Milwaukee «S: St. Paul Railway Com])any for Iowa, and is
located at Cedar Rai)ids. Judge Cook was a successful practitioner, seldom
losing a case in which he was engaged.
S. S. Patterson was born near Rochester, Xew ^'ork. .\])ril 17. 1835,
and read law in Cincinnati, Ohio, for one year. At the first call for troops
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 2 ^7
in 1861, he enlisted in Company l\ Twelfth Ohio Infantry, as a private and
after five months service returned to Ohio, resumed the study of law at
Tifiin. Ohio, and in June, 1862, was admitted to the bar. Afterwards, in
the early part of 1863, Mr. Patterson once more entered the army, being
appointed as captain of the comj>any. He was present at the surrender of
General Lee at Appomattox. After his service in the army, which closed
in the fall of 1865. he received a governmental appointment in southwestern
Virginia as inspector of internal re\enue. In 1868 he came to Iowa and lo-
cated in Kellogg. After practicing his profession at that place for eight
years, he came to Newton and engaged in active practice of the law with the
exception of the time of President Cleveland's first administration, when
he held a position under the general government of Indian agent in New
Mexico. After occupying that position for four years, he returned to N^ew-
ton and engaged in the practice of his profession until his death, which oc-
curred in February, 1899. Major Patterson was a man of high honor and
integrity and commanded the respect of all who knew him.
Hon. J. W. Deweese commenced the practice of law at Prairie City in
1869 and remained at that place for ten years, during which time he was
elected to represent Jasper county in the sixteenth and seventeenth General
Assemblies, which he did with credit to himself and to his constituency, being
elected speaker pro tem. of the House of Representatives at its seventeenth
session. In 1862 Mr. Deweese answered the call of his country and en-
listed in Company G, Twenty-third Regiment Iowa Volimteer Infantry, and
served until the close of the war, after which he attended the Central Uiii-
versity at Pella, Iowa, and then law school, previous to locating in Prairie
City. In 1879 Mr. Deweese removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, and became at-
torney for the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Railway in Nebraska, which
position he occupied until his death, which occurred September 3. 1907. Mr.
Deweese was an able lawyer.
Hon. E. C. Roach engaged in the practice of law at Prairie City,
commencing about the year 1875 O'' 1876, and remained at that place ac-
tively engaged in his profession until about 1883, at which time he removed
to Rock- Rapids. Lyon county. Iowa, where he is still engaged in the practice
of law with success. He has represented Lyon county twice in tlie Legis-
lature, the twentv-first and twenty-second sessions of the General Assembly
of Iowa.
L. A. Williams came to Prairie City from the state of Kentucky in
about the vear 1874 and continued the practice of law at that place until
about the vear 1903. when he returned to the state of Kentucky, liis old home,
and a short time thereafter died.
238 JASl'KR COUNTY, IOWA.
Sidney Williams commenced the practice of law in Prairie City about
the year 1868 and remained at Prairie City until 1873 and then removed
to Colfax, Iowa. In 1874 he, with John Dixon, discovered the noted min-
eral waters at Colfax. About the year 1885 he removed to Colorado, where
he is now engaged in mining enterprises.
Hon. B. C. Ward, a native of Vermont, came to Prairie City in 1869
and was principal of the schools at that place for a number of years. He
studied law and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1876, and formed a
partnership with W. G. Clements, under the firm name of Clements & Ward,
which partnership continued for the practice of law until 1893. The firm
maintained offices at Prairie City and Newton, Mr. Clements having re-
moved to Newton in October, 1887. The partnership was dissolved in 1893.
Mr. \\'ard moved to Des Moines, where he has been engaged in philan-
thropic interests, being president of the Young Men's Christian Association
in Des Moines for a number of years. While at Prairie City, Mr. Ward rep-
resented Jasper county in the Iowa Legislature, the twentieth session of the
same, and served with credit to himself and to his constituency. Mr. Ward,
during the Civil war, enlisted in the Second Vermont Infantry and served
his country faithfully and was in many battles, including Gettysburg, the
Wilderness and other hard-fought engagements. Mr. Ward still lives in
Des Moines and is now senior vice-commander of the Grand Army of the Re-
public of Iowa.
William Howard came to Monroe in the year 1856. Was justice of
the peace at that place for a number of years. Afterwards was admitted to
the bar about the year i860, and engaged in the practice of law until his
death, which occurred about 1875.
Jacob Kipp was a pioneer lawyer of Monroe, coming to that town in
the year of 1854. W^as elected justice of the peace for a number of years
and was admitted to the bar and engaged in the general practice of law
until 1899, when he retired from the practice and engaged in other pursuits.
He is still living in Monroe and is over eighty-five years of ag"e.
Sloan Koder practiced law in Monroe for a number of years with suc-
cess. In 1895 he removed to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where he resumed
the law business and is still living at that [)lace.
R. A. McKee commenced the practice of law in Monroe about the year
1870, and remained in the practice at that place for a number of years, and
removed to the state of Nebraska. During the Civil war Mr. McKee was
captain of Company I, Fifth Veteran Cavalry, and served with credit to
himself and his country.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 239
A. O. Hayes, once a member of the bar of Jasper county, and engaged
in the law business in Alonroe for a number of years, removed to the state
of K'ansas about the year 1880. At last accounts, he was still living in the
state of Kansas.
Hon. H. W. Gleason. a native of New Hampshire, came to Monroe
about January i. 1869, and remained there two years and engaged in the
practice of law successfully, afterwards removed to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and
formed a partnership with Judge Crookham. Mr. Gleason represented Ma-
haska county in tlie se\enteenth General Assembh- of Iowa. After dissolv-
ing partnership with Judge Crookham, he removed to the state of Kansas
and there engaged in the practice of law for some time, and then returned
to Oskaloosa where he continued the practice of law until his death, which
occurred May i, 191 1.
Alanson Clark, son of D. L. Clark, a graduate of Dartmouth College
and the Iowa Law School, was admitted to the bar in 1875. and in 1876 com-
menced the ])ractice of law at Xewton with success and remained in the prac-
tice until his death, which occurred March 28, 1894. Mr. Clark was very
energetic in the cause of his numerous clients, and won distinction at the bar
by his prosecution of rebate cases against the different railway companies.
At the time of his death, he was county attorney of Jasper county.
S. J. ]\Ioyer came to Jasper county in the year 1864 and was engaged in
teaching school until about the year 1872, when he was admitted to the
bar and practiced law in Newton for a period of about twelve years, then
remoxed to Chaml)erlain, South Dakota, and engaged in the same business
at that place until his death, which occurred about the year 1896.
A. S. Stuver was justice of peace for a number of years in Xewton, and
a member of the bar and practiced law until he removed to Kimball, South
Dakota, in 1882. He engaged in the practice of law in that state until his
death, which occurred in 1904.
H. K. Stahl and C. \\\ Stahl commenced the practice of law in Xew-
ton in the vear 1874. under the firm name and style of Stahl Bros. They
engaged in the ])ractice in Xewton for a period of about twelve years, and
then removed to the state of California, where they each now reside.
R. B. Kiddoo came to Jasper county in the year 1869 and engaged in
the practice of law in Newton for about ten years. He then removed to
the state of Nebraska, where he resumed the same business until his death,
which occurred in the year 1894.
J. G, Meek, one of the pioneer lawyers, came to X^ewton in the year
1854 and was admitted to the bar during that year. He practiced law in
240 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Newton for about ten years and then remo\ed to Ottuniwa, Iowa, where
he still lives.
J. M. Clements came to Jasper county with his parents in 1855 ^"^ ^""
gaged in work on the farm for his father near Newton until about the year
1868, when he attended college at W'ittemberg and Hazel Dell Academy in
Newton, studied law. and was admitted to the bar in 1873. On January
I, 1879, he was appointed official sliort-hand reporter for the sixth judicial
district by Judge Cook and served in that capacity for four years, after w hich
he resumed the practice of law in Newton. In a short time he formed a
partnership with S. C. Cook, under the firm name of Cook & Clements, the
partnership being dissolved in 1886, at which time Mr. Clements went to
Helena, Montana, where he was elected county judge of the county for a
term of two years. Afterwards he commenced the practice of law at that
place with success. In 1903 he was elected judge of the district court at
Helena, Montana. In 1907 he was re-elected, and now holds that position.
S. C. Cook was raised on a farm near Newton, studied law and was ad-
mitted to the bar in Jasper county about the year 1874 and entered into part-
nership with R. A. Sankey, which partnership existed for about four years,
after which he formed a partnership with J. M. Clements. Mr. Cook was
president of the railroad company which constructed what is now the Iowa
Central Railway from Newton to Keithsburg, Iowa. Mr. Cook was a
successful financier, very energetic and painstaking in whatever he under-
took. He continued in the practice of law until September, 1887, when he
met his death on a railway crossing between Mitchellville and Colfax by be-
ing struck by a railway train while driving in his buggy. His tragic death
was mourned by all his friends and acquaintances.
Hon. Stephen N. Lindley was born in Merrittstown, Pennsylvania, May
7, 18 1 7. He removed to Athens county, Ohio, in 1835, ^^^^ there studied
law in the office of A. J. Brown and was admitted to the bar. In April,
1848, he came to Iowa, and in 1861 came to Newton, where he resided nine-
teen years, following his profession, and served two terms as circuit judge.
He then moved to Fairbury. Nebraska, in 1880, and was elected and served
several terms as probate judge. In 1894 his health failed and he gave up
his practice and moved to Blanchester, Ohio, where he died January 22,
1896. Judge Lindley, prior to the Civil war, was an ardent abolitionist.
While he resided in Monroe, he and John R. Clements (the father of the
writer) conducted an "underground railroad'' and helped many a poor black
person to regain his liberty.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 24 1
A. K. Campbell emigrated from the state of Ohio to Newton about
the year 1855. Previous to coming to Iowa he studied law with his father
in the state of Oliio. He was admitted to the bar in Jasper county in 1868,
and formed a partnership with Judge O. C. Howe; the partnership continued
until Judge Howe was appointed one of the resident law professors in the
State University, which occurred in 1876. Mr. Campbell continued the
practice of his profession until he removed from Newton to Des Moines, in
1887, where he now resides.
W. E. Evans studied law in the office of Hon. J. C. Cook in Newton,
and was admitted to the bar about the year 1876. He engaged in the prac-
tice in Newton for three or four years, and then removed to the state of
Kansas, where he now resides and is still engaged in the practice of law.
Clark Varnum was admitted to the bar in Poweshiek county about 1873,
and engaged in the practice of law at Malcom, Iowa, until 1885, when he
removed to Newton and formed a partnership with Hon. H. S. Winslow,
which partnership continued until Mr. Varnum removed to Chicago, which
occurred about the year 1893. Mr. Varnum still resides in Chicago and is
engaged in the practice of his profession.
A. F. Brown was raised on a farm in Jasper county, studied law and w as
admitted to the bar in June, 1882. and immediately thereafter formed a
partnership with J. H. Fugard, which partnership was dissolved in Sep-
tember, 1901. Afterward Mr. Brown continued the practice of his pro-
fession as a lawyer in Newton until September, 1907, when he removed to
the city of Des ]\Ioines where he is now general attorney for the Corn Belt
Land & Loan Company.
R. F. Graham engaged in the ])ractice of law in Newton for a number
of years, being admitted to the bar about the year 1898, and followed the
practice of law in Newton until about 1903. He then removed to W'hittier,
California, where he is now engaged in the law- business.
D. O. Stuart practiced law in Monroe. Iowa, for about six years, then,
in 1878, removed to Harlan. Iowa, where he is still engaged in the practice
of his profession.
A. I. Craven was admitted to the bar in 1882. and practiced law in New-
ton for about four years, and then removed to Helena, Montana. While
there he became a member of the Legislature, and also a member of the
constitutional convention which framed the constitution of the state. He
is now located in Bellingham. Washington, and is there engaged in the prac-
tice of law.
(16)
242 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
James A. Kerr was admitted to the l)ar in about the year 1882 and
immediately commenced the practice of his profession in N^ewton. He con-
tinned in the practice with success until 1890, when he removed to Seattle,
Washington, where he is now engaged in the practice of law. Previous to
his leaving Newton he was in partnership with \V. O. McElroy for about
four years. Mr. Kerr was a tprceful speaker and advocate, and has achieved
great success in his new field where he now resides.
A. AI. Harrah came to Jasper county with his parents about the year
1855, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1875, and commenced the
practice of his profession in Newton which he continued with success until
1907. when he removed to Pasadena. Qlilifornia. where he is still engaged
in the practice of his profession. In 1886. Mr. Harrah was elected county
attorney and served in that capacity for a period of two years. Mr. Harrah
A\as an able lawyer.
John G. Harrah, son of A. M-. Harrah, was admitted to the bar in
1905, and commenced the practice of law in Newton and continued until
191 1, when he removed to Pasadena, California, where he now resides.
Preston Chambers was born in the state of Indiana and emigrated to
Iowa in 1855, settling near Galesburg. Iowa. He was admitted to the bar
in 1877, and practiced law until June 19, 1907, when he died near Gales-
burg. at the age of eighty-three years.
Hon. W. H. Redman was born in Geneseo. Illinois. March 15, 1840.
He lived and worked on a farm during the early years of his life. He
served as private in Company C. Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, during the Civil
war, and was advanced to the position of captain of his company. He was
in several battles during the war. After the war, he came to Poweshiek
county and located on a farm. He entered the law department of the State
University from which he graduated in December, 1869. The following
year he commenced the practice of law in Montezuma. Mr. Redman served
in the twentv-first and twenty-second General Assemblies of Iowa, being
made speaker of the House in the last named session. In 1898 he was ap-
pointed assistant attorney general, whicli office he held until A])ril t, 1899.
In 1900 he located in Newton, Iowa, and continued the practice of law until
his death, which occurred about December. 1901.
H. L, Stem came to Jasper county with his parents in 1855 '^"^^l settled
on a farm near Monroe. Mr. Stem worked on the farm until he was admitted
to the bar in 1871. and engaged in the practice of law in Monroe. Iowa, for
a period of six vears, after which he removed to the state of Nebraska.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 243
E. M. Ives practiced law at Lynnville for a number of. years. From
thence he removed to Kellogg. Iowa, and resumed the practice of his pro-
fession at that place until 1907, when he removed to the state of Indiana.
L. J. Labour practiced law in Colfax for a number of years, and about
the year 1880 removed to the city of Des Moines.
J. A. Metcalf came to Xewton about the year 1888 and i)racticed
law' in Xewton until 1895, when he removed to Sac City, Sac county, Iowa,
where he is now engaged in his chosen profession.
Fred Oilman came to Newton from the northeastern part of Iowa about
the year 1882, and practiced law in Xewton until about the year 1887. When
he was appointed professor in the law department of the State University of
Iowa, he removed to Iowa City.
S. I, Miskimmons commenced the practice of law at Baxter, in Jasper
county, in 1899 and continued in the practice at that place until the time of
his death, April 15, 1904.
S. Kent commenced the practice of law in Xewton about the year 1873,
and remained in Xewton until about 1878, when he removed to the state of
Xebraska, where he now lives.
Bryant E. Corwin was ]x)rn in Morrow county, Ohio. October 21.
1850. attended the common schools of that county until 1872, when he
came to Monroe. Iowa. He had previously studied law in the office of Judge
Dickey at Mt. Gilead. He was admitted to the bar in Jasper county Xovem-
ber 10, 1876. Previous to that time he had l)een principal for four years
of the Monroe schools. He practiced law in Monroe with success until the
time of his death, which occurred October 30, 1893.
W. H. Williams practiced law in the town of Monroe from 1877 to
1879. He then moxed to the state of Kansas where he now resides.
Joseph Arnold was born at Richmond. Indiana, April i. 1832. In
1843 li^ came with his parents to Lynnville. Iowa, and aided iiis parents in
operating a grist mill at said place, and also in conducting a farm. In 1864
^[r. Arnold was ordained a minister of the gospel in the Friends church
and preached more or less. Alnnit the year 1873 he commenced the
study of law, and was admitted to the bar in Jasper county in 1877 and con-
tinued the practice of law in Lynnville with success until the time of his
death. Avhich occurred September 7. 1904. in the seventy-third year of his
age.
John C. Meredith was reared on a farm near Lynnville and about the
vear 1880 was admitted to the bar and entered in the practice of law at Lynn-
ville. which he carried on with success until about the year 1883. when he
removed to Angus. Iowa.
244 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
James B. Nay lor, a resident of Lynnville, was admitted to the bar in
1874, and continued the practice of law at that place until about 1880,
when he removed to Simeron, Kansas, where he is still engaged in the law
business.
C. A. Tracy practiced law in Monroe for about two years, commencing
in 1890. He then removed to the state of Nebraska.
R. A. Sankey, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Newton in 1866 and
commenced the practice of law with success. He afterwards formed a
partnership with AI. Howard, which continued for about two or three years.
Afterwards he formed a partnership with S. C. Cook, which was dissolved
in about two years thereafter. In 1882 Mr. Sankey went to Wichita, Kansas,
where he engaged in the practice of his profession until the time of his
death, which occurred in March, 1909. He was about sixty-two years of
age at the time of his death.
M. Howard came to Newton about the year 1870 and commenced the
practice of law in partnership with R. A. Sankey, and after the dissolution
of the partnership, which continued about three years, Mr. Howard removed
to the city of Chicago where he now resides.
Hon. Robert Ryan was born in Washington county, New York, and
emigrated to Jasper county with his parents in 1857, and settled on a farm
two miles south of Prairie City. He was educated in the common schools
of New York and Iowa, and at the Central University at Pella. During the
war he served as a member of the Eighth Iowa Infantry and upon his re-
turn home finished his education and studied law, attending the law depart-
ment of the Iowa State University. In about the year 1868 he commenced
the practice of law in Newton, forming a partnership with G. R. Shays,
which continued until the death of Mr. Shays. He then formed a partner-
ship with his brother, David Ryan, which continued until his removal to
Lincoln, Nebraska, where he resumed the practice of law. In a short time
after removing to Lincoln, he was elected a member of the supreme court
of that state, on which he serxed with alMJity for a term of six years. Af-
terwards he resumed the practice of law, and in about the year 1900 he
came to Des Moines, Iowa, and formed a partnership with his brother, David
Ryan, and J. B. Ryan and W. L. Ryan, sons of David Ryan. Hon. Robert
Ryan is now actively engaged in the practice of law in Des Moines.
Evert M. Allen was born in Jasper county, and lived with his parents
on a farm near Colfax. He attended the State University at Iowa City,
and graduated from the law department thereof in 1897, after which he
engaged in the practice of law in Colfax until about 1906. when he removed
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 245
to Spokane, state of Washington, where he is still engaged in the practice of
his profession.
E. H. Hurd came to Newton about the year 1900 and engaged in the
practice of law until about 1906, when he removed to the state of Nebraska.
Clifford V. Cox was born in Jasper county, February 14. 1880. He
received his education in the common schools of the county and then entered
the State University in 1897. from which he graduated from the law de-
partment in June. 1903. and was admitted to the bar. He commenced the
practice of his profession in Newton, forming a partnership with W. O.
McElroy, under the firm name and style of McElroy & Cox, which partner-
ship continued until 1909, when Mr. Cox removed to the city of Des Moines
and formed a partnership with Mr. Bannister, where he is actively engaged
in the practice.
J. A. Mattern came to Colfax about the year 1878. He was admitted
to the bar about that time and commenced the practice of law, which he con-
tinued until about 1898. when he was elected clerk of the district court of
Jasper county, which position he occupied until 1906. He then removed
from Jasper county to Creston, Iowa, where he now resides.
George F. Rinehart practiced law in Newton for about two years,
then engaged in publishing a newspaper in Des ]\Ioines. From there he re-
moved to the state of Oklahoma, where he is now successfully engaged in
editing a newspaper.
Jonathan N. Edgar was admitted to the bar at Newton in 1855. A short
time thereafter he was elected county attorney and served in that capacity
for about two years, when he removed to Oskaloosa, Iowa.
William B. Sloan was admitted to the bar at Newton, September 8,
1854, and practiced law in Newton for about four years. He then re-
moved to the state of Ohio and resumed the practice of his profession.
B. F. Parmenter came to Newton in the fall of 1855 and commenced
the practice of law. In the summer of 1856 he, in company with Judge
O. C. Howe, went to Spirit Lake, where Mr. Parmenter remained until the
time of his death.
Charles Smentzer came to Newton in 1855 and commenced the practice
of law. In 1857 he removed to Ft. Dodge, Iowa, where he resumed the
practice of his profession and occupied many positions of trust at his new
home.
Hon. John C. Pollock, a native of Belmont county. Ohio, came to New-
ton after the Civil war and studied law in the office of Hon. H. S. Winslow.
He was admitted to the bar in Jasper county, and from there he moved to
246 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Montezuma, Poweshiek county, and remained there in the practice of his
profession for about three years. He then removed to the state of Missouri
and still continued the practice of law. From Missouri he went to Kansas
where he gained distinction as a trial lawyer and was elected as district
judge of that state, and while serving in that capacity was appointed judge
of the United States district court for the state of Kansas, which position
he now occupies.
Hon. George E. Spencer was admitted to the bar in Newton April 16,
1856, and thereafter engaged in the practice of law in Newton with success.
In 1858 he served as secretary of the state Senate of Iowa. Thereafter, in
1859. he removed to the northwestern part of the state in Cla\- county and
took up a government claim and thereon laid out a town, giving it his own
name, which is now the county seat of Clay county. He was the first set-
tler in Clay county. During the Civil war he was colonel of a regiment of
loyal Alabamians and served with distinction until the close of the war. After-
wards, he settled in the state of Alabama, and was elected from that state to
the United States Senate for a term of six years.
Hon. James B. Weaver was born in Dayton. Ohio, June 12, 1833. He
was educated in the common schools of Iowa. He commenced the study of
law in the ofifice of S. G. McAchran. at Bloomfield, Iowa, in 1854. After-
wards he attended the law school of Cincinnati College and graduated in
1855. Rutherford B. Hayes, afterwards President of the United States,
was one of the board of examiners of said school. Afterwards General
Weaver came to Bloomfield and engaged in the practice of his profession
until the spring ofi86i. when he entered the Union army as a private
soldier and was elected first lieutenant of Company G, Second Iowa InfantiT.
Afterwards was promoted to the rank of major of his regiment and then to
colonel and after\\ards was l)re\'eted Ijrigadier-general by President Lincoln.
General Weaver was engaged in many hard-fought battles along with his
regiment. At the close of the war he returned to Bloomfield and again en-
tered upon the practice of law and in 1866 was elected district attorney of
the second judicial district, ^^•hich was composed of seven counties, in which
capacity he served for a term of four years. He was afterwards appointed
United States assessor of internal revenue. Afterwards he entered the gen-
eral practice and took an active part in politics. In 1878 he was elected to
Congress from the sixth Iowa district and in 1886 was again elected to Con-
gress. In 1880 he was nominated by the national Greenback party for Presi-
dent of the United States and polled over three hundred thousand votes. In
1892 he was nominated for President of the United States by the Populist
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 247
party and polled over one million votes, and received twenty-two electoral
votes, (ieneral Weaver was a resident of Colfax, in jasper countv. for
the past fifteen years and, while not in the active practice of the law, was
engaged in literary work. General Weaver had a keen sense of justice and
right and espoused the cause of the weak and oppressed and therefore was
highly respected and esteemed l)v ever}- person with whom he came in c«jn-
tact. He died on February 6, 1912.
THE PRESENT BAR.
The following are the present members of the Jasper county bar: A. A.
Arnold, George T. Anderson, A. H. Brous, J. W. Burke, M. J. Carey, W. G.
Clements, F. H. Clements, W. R. Cooper, P. H. Cragan, C. E. Cragan, J. E.
Cross, Tim J. Campbell, C. O. Edge, J. H. Fugard, A, R. Gorrell, A. C.
Gates, M. R. Hammer, Jr., J. C. Hawkins, P. H. Healy, P. E. Johannsen,
F. L. Kennedy, L. S. Kennington, H. C. Horf, Jacob Kipp, George C. Kipp,
J. Koder, L. E. Hall, A. K. Lufkin, E. P. Malmberg, W. O. McElroy, C. O.
McLain, E. M. S. McLaughlin, O. C. Meredith, Ross R. Mowry, V. H. Mor-
gan, H. L. Morgan, G. L. Morgan, O. P. Myers, E. C. Ogg. M. E. Penquite,
J. B. Ryan, E. J. Salmon, Henry Silwold, F. W. Swearingen, G. M. Tripp,
D. M. Tripp, L. A. Wells.
CHAPTER XVL
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND MEDICAL SOCIETIES.
From the earliest history- of mankind, in all countries, civilized and un-
civilized, the medical man has always been held in high esteem by those in
need of his services. Whether it be the learned professor, who has had the
advantages of many colleges and thoroughly understands the latest discov-
eries in his science, or the "great medicine man'' of the semi-civilized and
half-tutored savage, who from actual experience has made discoveries of the
healing properties of various roots and herbs, honor awaits him on almost
every hand, while the life and death of a human being is virtually placed in
his keeping. The weary patient, streached out on his bed of pain, and the
no less w^orthy watcher by his side, wait anxiously for the coming of the
"good doctor,'' and, on his arrival, note his every movement. In health and
strength we often speak lightly of the medical profession, but when the face
is flushed with fever and the frame is full of pain and disorder, then it is that
the doctor is most appreciated, for we know^ full w'ell that nature can best be
aided by medicines administered by one who has made materia medica his life
study.
The early physicians in Jasper and adjoining counties were men of stand-
ing and endured great hardships, as they faced the storms of an Iowa winter
or the burning suns of summer, traveling on foot and on horseback, many
times over roads almost impassable, with bridgeless streams, by day and by
night. The "saddle-bag doctor" was here in evidence and the trained nurse
was wanting, but was quite well substituted by the dear old grandmothers who
seemed to have brought down from their homes in the eastern country many
simple remedies and knew just how to care for the sick member of the family
until the case needed a physician.
The early day doctors practiced for money, same as today, but then, as
now, the honorable physician did not turn a poor person away without treat-
ment, but administered the best he could and trusted to luck to be repaid.
This trait has caused many a doctor to have thousands of dollars charged on
his books which might as well never have been entered, for when the patient
has been healed he too frequently forgets his family physician and pays others
less worthy.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 249
The science of medicine has materially advanced in the last fifty years
and surgery has within twenty-five years made wonderful strides. What once
seemed impossible to perfonn. is today counted but the work of a few minutes
and a great operation is performed and life saved thereby. New countries
always have their own peculiar diseases and Jasper county had her full share
of pioneer ailments to be cared for by the early physicians, who were not al-
ways of the brightest, highest type of medical men, but they carried out what
they believed to be the best for those whom they treated. The later physi-
cians were of a better educated type and met with good success — especiallv is
this true of those who cam€ to Jasper county after the close of the Civil war.
That conflict was of itself a great surgeon maker and the result of the ex-
perience is still felt in the hospitals and general practice of today, from ocean
to ocean.
Early in the eighties the state laws were so changed that a "quack" was
prohibited from practicing medicine, and this rule of law has made higher
and better the standard of doctors throughout the commonwealth. The bitter
fights between "old school" and other medical schools, including homeo-
pathic, osteopathic, and even Christian Science treatment, has about been
abandoned : the rank and file of physicians now see some good in the eclectic
school as well as in the "regular." and if patients care to take treatment with
any new school the reputable doctor is not offended, and indeed if he himself
thinks anything is to be gained by using some of the remedies of other
schools he feels at liberty to do so, and calls it perfectly professional. Tn
short, the men engaged in the practice of medicine have been trained at in-
stitutions of learning controlled by broad-gauged men. who see some good in
all rational methods and have come to seek a cure, rather than carr}' into
practice a pet theory of any school of medicine.
PHYSICIANS OF JASPER COUNTY.
(By Dr. Perry E3ngle.)
The first physician in this count\' to estal>lish a medical practice was Dr.
Henry Rodgers. who came from Pendleton, Indiana, and settled in Newton
in 1847. He was the father of John F. Rodgers. of Newton, and an uncle
of T. M. Rodgers, of the Neivton Record. Once while riding through the
woods he was chased by a wild cat that tried to jump on his horse. He had
a verv severe spell of sickness and was just convalescent when some of his
patients near Grinnell came after him to see someone very sick: no buggies
were in the countv then and the Doctor was unable to ride a horse, so a bed
250 JASPER COUXTV, IOWA.
was rigged up in a wagon in which the devoted Doctor made his trip. He
came home, took a relapse and died at the age of thirty-seven years. He saved
his patient. He died that others might Hve. When the anxious John in-
quired from the seaside prison, "Art thou He that shall come?" Christ sent
replv: "The lame walk, the blind see." Is not the saving of the lives of others
divine? Doctor Rodgers was buried in the Newton cemetery in 1855.
William Patton was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1818; graduated
in medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. He practiced medicine in Rock Creek town-
ship. Jasper county, from 1855 to 1862, when he died from cerebro spinal
meningitis, contracted while attending patients in Grinnell afflicted with that
fatal malady. He was the father of I. L. Patton, ex-sheriff of Jasper county.
He died May 6, 1862, in Rock Creek township.
Andrew Patton was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1808, and practiced
in Newton three years before enlisting in the army; he was a surgeon in a
colored regiment. His residence was where the Methodist parsonage now
stands; he left Newton in 1865 for Nevada, Iowa, where he died in 1888.
M. W. Richey practiced at Colfax, but for many years has been located
in LeMars, Plymouth county, Iowa, where he has built up a large practice.
N. W. Gearhart, another Colfax doctor, is now in Pierre, South Dakota.
Lindley S. Blackledge, who was in Newton in 1883, is now in Orosi,
California.
A. T. Ault came to Newton in 1855, and later was elected county treas-
urer, served in the Union army as captain in Company C, of an Iowa regi-
ment. After the war he moved to Missouri, where he died.
Drs. Neeley and A. L. Gray were active practitioners in Newton in 1854.
B. M. Failor was born February 21, 1831, in Bucyrus, Ohio. In 1853 he
married Sarah Picking. To them one child was born, Anna, now Mrs.
Grandstaff, of Burlington, Iowa. He was a surgeon of the Nineteenth Regi-
ment Ohio Volunteers and had a horse shot from under him at the battle of
Stone River. He located in Newton in 1865. He was secretary of the Jasper
County Medical Society for twenty years. He had charge of a field coi*ps
hospital in Mississippi. Garrett Post, Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's
Relief Corps and the Jasper Society attended his funeral. In his professional
business he was generous to a fault, never refusing a call on the score of pov-
erty. He was, while returning from a sick call, waylaid and robbed. He died
September 12, 1901.
James M. Brown was born in Newton and was a son of Rev. T. F.
Brown; was one of the editors of the lozva National; was a man of ability and
a successful practitioner. He is now practicing in western Nebraska, having
left Newton in 1878.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 25 I
A. H. Buchanan died in Baxter, Iowa, April 3. 191 1. He was horn at
sea January i. 1830. For three years he Hved at Delma. Alabama. At the
age of three years he came with his parents to Richland county, Ohio, and
lived on a farm near Hayesville. After preparatory study he was graduated
from Jefferson Aledical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He practiced
medicine in Bellville, Ohio, for twenty-five years. In 1862 he married Irene
Wade, who died in 1876. To them two children were born, one of whom died
in infancy, the other being Astella V. Hunter. In 1876 he came to Xewton,
Iowa, where he lived two years, then moved to I)axter, Iowa. July 9th he
married Isal^elle Donaldson, and to this marriage one child was 1x)rn. His
wife and two daughters survive him. His life was a success, and he left the
world the better for his having lived in it.
Eugene Augustus Goodwin was born April 10, 1 831, at Hallowell, Maine,
He spent much time teaching. He graduated from the U^iiversity of Michi-
gan in 1871. and from there he entered the Long Island Medical College,
from which he also graduated. He first practiced medicine in New Jersey,
from where he moved to Newton, Iowa, in 1873. He practiced two years,
then located in Baxter, this county, and finally engaged in farming. June 14,
1861, he enlisted in Company F, Ninety-ninth New York Volunteers; he was a
valiant soldier of the Potomac and witnessed the memorable battle between
the "Merrimac" and "Monitor." He was discharged July 2, 1864; died
October 18, 1910, and was buried at Baxter.
John S. Hunter came from Carrollton, Ohio, to Newton, Iowa, in 1857.
at which time his competitors were Drs. Ault, Neeley, Rodgers, Hammer.
Dinwiddle, Gray and others. The Doctor was the father of five children.
Dr. Henry E. Hunter being one of them. He was a successful practitioner
for years, and died and was buried in Newton.
Henry E. Hunter was born in Carrolltown, Ohio, September 18, 1830.
He came to Newton in 1854. He returned to his old home and was married
to Sarah A. Wilson February 27, 1855. To this union two children were
bom, George M. Hunter, and Carrie Hunter, who married C. E. Stubbs: she
died in confinement in Chicago in 1885. Doctor Hunter first kept house in a
frame building standing where the "Churchill" now stands. He was sent by
the people of this county to care for our soldiers at \^icksburg. Mississippi. He
came in a stage from Davenport, Iowa, to Newton and began practice with Dr.
A. T. Ault, and at the time of his death he was the oldest practicing physician
in the county. In medical ethics. Doctor Hunter was the soul of honor, brave,
manly and just; his religious environment was the strictest cut of Presbyter-
ianism, but at his death he was a liberal, a seeker of truth, and an example of
252 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
equity. He died of brain trouble June 20, 1902; his pall bearers were Dr. S.
Druett. of Anamosa. Perry Engle, L. E. S, Turner, C. Boyd. E. F. Besser,
C. C. Smead and J. T. Hendershot.
William Bailey was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, on the 14th
of r^larch, 1819, and died in Newton, Iowa, on the 25th of July, 1907, aged
eighty-eight years. He was a son of Rev. William Bailey, who was one of
John Wesley's preachers, \\hen a lad of ten years of age he came with his
father to America and settled in New York state, and later moved to Ohio,
where he grew to manhood. He earned his money for an education and grad-
uated from the Lake Erie LTniversity in Columbus, as Doctor of Medicine
at the age of twenty-three years. He practiced medicine for twenty-five years
in Ohio and two years in Newton, Iowa. When he left his parental home to
fight life's battles, he had but two dollars, one of which he gave to his loving
mother, the other dollar was his only cash capital, which, with his honesty,
energy and industry, made him rich. He bought a horse on credit; the horse
died and he was compelled to make his rounds to visit his patients on foot. His
patients many of them were poor and his practice large. His big generous
heart took in his patients as well as his mother. He gave thousands of dollars
in services and medicines gladly to the poor and unfortunate. In giving his
life for others, the kind hearted Doctor often suffered from want and hunger.
He instructed his family to never turn a tramp away hungry. His sympathies
took in animals and birds as well as humanity. He was engaged in general
merchandise in Newton for two years and then owned and successfully man-
aged a large farm near Baxter. He was twice married and had seven children
born. In 1893 he and his faithful daughter. Margaret, made their home in
Newton. He was a charter member of the Masonic lodge of Baxter.
I. A. Hammer was born in Tennessee, and came to Newton in 1864. He
was a man of marked ability and seiwed as mayor of Newton two terms. In
1872 he moved to Des Moines and was elected city clerk. In 1892 he moved
to Chicago, where he practiced medicine until his death, that occurred January
I, 1900. He was a Methodist preacher, as well as a doctor, and he could
marry a couple, officiate at the birth, and preach the funeral sermon, and do all
the work well. He was an uncle of Dr. Marion Hammer.
James Cooper was raised in Jasper county, read medicine with Perry
Engle, and is now a prominent practitioner in Rockwell City, Iowa.
J. Ridhout located in Jasper county in the early fifties, practiced a few
years in Newton and for many years near Baxter. He died in Newton when
nearly ninety years of age.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 253
Max Miller read medicine with J. R. Gorrell and is now in Newton. Kan-
sas.
George Clark was J- R- Gorrell's student, also Charles Erichson, who
located in Des Moines, where he died.
A. B. Thornell was located in Newton in the sixties, but moved to Knox-
ville, where he died.
Drs. Wolf and Willey practiced in Newton about fiftv years ago.
J. Lindley read medicine with J. R. Gorrell, located and died while a
young man at Maringo, Iowa.
The following is a miscellaneous list of doctors who have practiced in
Jasper county, and who have removed to other lands or are dead. The pres-
ent whereabouts are given when known to the writer :
C. C. Graham, of Baxter, now located at Des Moines, traveling salesman
for antitoxin.
H. C. Potter, formerly of Prairie City, is now located in Des Moines.
J. W. Beck, of Kellogg, moved to Des Moines, where he served several
terms as coroner, and where he died.
S. F. Miller, once located at Colfax, Prairie City and Baxter, died at
Baxter.
H. C. Eschbaugh was located in Monroe and moved to Albia, where he
has a lucrative practice.
J. L. Pifer left Newton for Chicago.
W. R. Trotter, once of Newton, is now in Des Moines.
J. T. Robbins left Newton in 1897 for Des Moines, where he is still
located.
A. C. Simonton was in partnership with Henry E. Hunter, but is now
located in the far West.
C. J. Lukins read medicine w'ith Perry Engle. moved to Oskaloosa, and
from there to Oklahoma.
J. T. Hendershot practiced in Monroe, where he died of phthisis.
H. C. Finch left Lynnville and is now in Oklahoma.
E. H. Robb, of Newton, is now in Meenah, Wisconsin.
D. W. Smouse left ^Monroe for Des ]Moines.
Theodore Engle left Newton for State Center, where he is running a
large sanitarium.
J. C. McNutt left Reasoner and his residence is unknown.
W. W. Goodrich, once in Ira. this county, is now on the Pacific coast,
engaged in other business.
254 JASPKR COL'XTV, IOWA.
A. Moxley. of Kellogg, removed to parts unknown.
W. H. E. Booth, of Newton, is now practicing in Lebanon, Oregon.
E. M. French died in Newton.
A. W. Adair, who practiced in Kellogg for more than forty years, moved
to Des Moines, where he died.
E. H. Mershon practiced in Newton and vicinity for forty years and
died in Newton.
J. R. Smith was a successful practitioner of Kellogg, where he died.
J. B. Coor, of Monroe, removed and residence is not known.
E. M. Holland, of Colfax, died in that city.
E. D. Allen, of JNIonroe. died there.
J. R. Ryan, of Colfax, served humanity there more than forty years and
moved to Des Moines, where he followed his profession ten years and died of
cancer of the stomach.
George Franzee. of Greencastle, this county, moved to Shelby county,
where he died.
J. G. Bidwell and \\'. T. Geary, of Prairie City, removed to parts un-
known to the writer.
Joseph Cowgill read medicine with Perry Engle and practiced medicine
in Newton and is now located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Bailev Thomas was a son of Prof. Thomas, founder of Hazel Dell
Academy. Newton, and read medicine with Perry Engle, and is now a leading
physician at Carthage, Missouri.
Frank Hunter also read with Perry Engle. located and died at Newton.
Howard Gray left Newton, and is now located in Des IMoines.
E. E. Lusk left Newton, but his residence is unknown.
O. N. Jones left Colfax and. we believe, is decea.sed.
J. W. Martain. of Colfax, left, but we know not of his residence.
Harlan Wells was as.sociated with ]. R. Gorrell for a year and then moved
to Wisconsin.
John Thomas Hendershot was Iwrn in Greene county, Pennsylvania,
December 2, 1842; he died in Monroe. April 5, 1903. of consumption. He
came to Monroe from Otley in 1883; in 1877 he married Lucy A. Dunn,
who. with one son. survives him.
W. F. Stouder was born in Ohio July 12, 1850; came to Newton from
Des jNToines and died November 9, 1908. He was the Socialist candidate for
Congress from Des Moines, and polled a large vote.
T'Vank Carpenter has moved from Sully to Pella. Towa, recently.
JASPER COUXTV. IOWA. 25 ^
PRESENT PRACTICIXG PHYSICIANS.
At Newton— J. R. Gorrell, Perry Engle. Harry P. Engle. E. F. Besser,
Charles E. Boyd. M. R. Hammer. C. C. Smead. H. Y. Bvers. T. C. Hill, L. O.
Rodgers. \L R. Harding. H. F. Landis.
At Colfax — A. B. S. Turner, L. E. C. Turner, Florence lirown Sherbon.
John Bayard Sherl)on. F. E. Boyd. J. C. Corselius, William W. Hawk. Nunia
T. ^^'eston. Royal Anspach. Frank AW Stewart.
At Lynnville — C. E. Quire. Austin R. Quire.
At Baxter— Paul Keoper, C. C. Graham. Herl)ert W. Canfield.
At Prairie City — J. F. Harp. AW D. McCannaughey, J. X. Porter. W.
B. Chase.
At Monroe — W. H. Shaw. J. L. Taylor. G. W. Loar. C. J. Aplin. James
A. Shrader. G. L. Smith. J. L. Taylor. Daniel W. Wheelwright.
At Sully— O. O. Carpenter, j. C. Smith.
At Mingo — DL C. Gamer.
At Kellogg— B. Eiesman. J. F. Hackett. Dr. Woods.
At Vandalia — A. M. Xorris.
At Reasoner — Frank Carpenter
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETIES.
Jasper covmty's first medical society was organized in May. 1858.
Doctor Hunter was elected chairman and Doctor Hunter. Jr.. secretary.
Drs. Harris and Gray were selected to frame a constitution and by-laws. Drs.
Dinwiddie and Hunter. Jr.. were to draw up a fee bill. The society com-
pleted its organization May 24. 1858, and it had five members. Dr. E. H.
Mershon was called the ''odd man." This society was short-lived, and Jasper
county had no medical society until June. 1874. when another was organized
with the following officers: J. W. Shooley. of Monroe, president: J. W.
Adams, of Prairie City, vice-president: B. M. Failor. of Xewton, secretary;
J. R. Gorrell. of X'^ewton. as treasurer: H. E. Hunter, of X>wton. I. A.
Hammer, of Colfax. W. H. Shaw, of Monroe, censors.
The present society is composed of twenty-five members and the follow-
ing are its officers: Harry Perry Engle. president; L. E. C. Turner, vice-
president: Frank E. Boyd, secretary: Perr>' Engle. C. C. Boyd and John
Sherbon. censors.
CHAPTER XVII.
BANKS AND BANKING OF THE COUNTY.
Banking, while not the first business demanded in any given community,
is, after the settlement has advanced a few years, a very important adjunct
to civilization and commerce. The pioneer had but little if indeed any money
to deposit, and he had. as a general rule, but little property to put up as se-
curity for money should he want to borrow, hence the bankers did not appear
on the scenes of pioneer life very early, and then only in a very small way
did they profess to carry on banking business, as it is now understood.
Today, the farmer is as much of a bank depositor and is engaged in large trans-
actions in stock and realty, by which he needs the assistance of a bank,
fully as much as the business men of city and town. The citizens of
Jasper county, who came in early and remained here, or their children and
grandchildren who came after them, have, by reason of decades of hard
work in tilling the fertile soil, and by the advance in land values, become
wealthy and prosperous. They ride in carriages and automobiles ; they
use the modern phone and rural mail service and have to do with the great
busy world about them to a large degree, hence they have come to need the
banker. Once the bank only loaned short time loans to the farmer, to
tide him over a pinched period, till he could thresh or sell his stock, but
now the farmer has a plenty and to spare, hence deposits, loans to others
and takes certificates of deix)sits, running six and twelve months in many
cases.
PROSPEROUS TIMES OF THE FIFTIES.
From 1852 on for a number of years— until the crash of 1857 — the
West was in a prosperous condition, financially, at least for those days in
the history of our country. Immigrants by the tens of thousands had
found their way across the ^Mississippi river, in quest of new homes on
the rich prairies of Iowa. Times were flourishing in the Eastern states,
and many well-to-do farmers there, having tired of stony, stumpy fields,
sold, and with the cash received, ventured out into this section of the
West. Usually they had sold their farms in the East for one-third down,
and agreed to wait for the other two-thirds a term of years. Country towns
Indian agent Reach of Fort Des Moines, who notified the Indians that un-
in Indiana and Illinois reaped a liar\est from the lengthy trains of teams
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 257
Avith covered wagons, known as "prairie schooners." which crossed the great
river over into the land "beautiful." of which they had heard so much.
No sooner had these pioneers made a selection of land and erected
a claim cabin on the same, than it was up to them to purchase machinery,
cattle, swine and horses with which to stock and improve their newly bought
places. This took much mone>-. Grain had to come from the farmer al-
ready in advance of him; plows with which to turn over the virgin soil
had to come from the maker and dealer in such implements; lumber had
to be sawed from native forests, and this cost money. But fortunately,
many received money on deferred payments on farms once owned in some
one of older Eastern states, v^^hich came due and followed on here to Jasper
county in 1855 and 1856, hence everybody seemed for the time to be "well
off." As is ever the case when money is plenty, speculation goes ranijjant
and men get in the habit of indulging in luxuries not thought of in more
stringent times. It was then towns were laid out and schools and colleges
founded. But with these times came the higher rate of interest, and finally
it was no uncommon thing to ask and receive twenty-five per cent, per an-
num for the use of cash with which to go into some wild-cat scheme — a
paper townsite, a milling project or a college. But really, the more fortu-
nate of all was the stout man whose good, paid-for team would bring hmi
in three dollars a day at breaking prairie, or hauling freight from the market
places. Again, another would pay for a threshing machine in one year's
threshing season and be ready for the next year all out of debt. But ten
years later, the man who owned a machine was the most unfortunate man
man in the county, for sometimes they lost their all l)y purchasing a high-
priced machine and then trying to thresh in a season when grain did not
yield.
So gav and glorious did things look to the newcomer that he went
wild over speculation. Frequently, he could make a hundred per cent, in
one week on a single transaction, such as buying a corner town lot and
selling it before Saturday night came around at twice what he had given.
Labor did not make the first fortunes in Iowa and Jasper county, but specu-
lation was at the back of those early-day fortunes.
SPECIE PAYMENT IN THE COUNTY.
The first specie payment in Jasper county was unquestionably in the
autumn of 1844. when forty thousand dollars was sent in silver coin to
less thev called for it immediately he would ha\e to send it back, as he
feared robberv. He meant to send this money due the tribe back to Agency
(17)
258 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
City. The untutored savages looked as earnestly for pay day as does the
workman of today for his pay day to come. They frequently held a council
for a month before time to be able to not make any errors or to give any
chance for the money to be sent back to Washington. In one instance a
forty-thousand-dollar lot of money was guarded day and night at the cabin
home of the first settler, Adam Tool, who, it will be remembered, kept a
sort of an inn at Tool's Point, near ]\Ionroe of today. The si)ecie arrived
at the forks of the river, but the Indians, as usual, were not yet ready to
receive it. as they had gotten into a dispute over whether it should be paid
to the heads of the families, to the chiefs or to the traders from whom
goods had l>een purchased. After a da}- or two parleying about the mat-
ter, Beach was as good as his word and started the silver back to Agency
City, and again stopped over night at Tool's tavern. The Indians feared
they might miss the cash entirely if they did not quickly decide, so they
notified Beach to have the money turned over to the trader at once, who
took out what was coming to him and allowed the balance to be retained
by the Indians, so that in all this mix up. the forty thousand dollars laid
several nights at Tool's place.
This was probably the first large amount of money kept at any one
place within Jasper county, either for public or pri^•ate use.
THE PANIC OF 1 857.
Nearly every one is familiar with the facts, in general, about the great
crash of 1857, which almost wrecked the entire country financially. But
perhaps not all know of some of the local happenings in this county, in
common with other points in Iowa.
It was in the month of August, 1857. when the Ohio Life and Trust
Company, a corporation doing business as bankers and life insurance ac-
tivities, produced a panic on Wall street. New York City. A score of banks
suspended payment, and a couple of weeks later bank failures became com-
mon from Maine to the South and West. So inflated had been the financial
condition of the countiy that speculators had been allowed to check on banks
and give security only on lands yet undiscovered beyond the waters of the
Missouri river, in what is now Nebraska and Kansas. When this crash
came, gold and silver (as is ever the case) hid itself away, and soon
followed the choicest of bank bills of Massachusetts, New York and Ohio,
leaving nothing but the "wild-cat" bills, "red dog" money, etc.. of the West-
ern states whose banking systems had not l>een noted for their regularity
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 259
la payment at par. Then came the tumble of prices in land, town property.
Jive stock and general merchandise. It is said that upon an average these
commodities fell fully fifty per cent.
The farmer could not, and did not, pay his taxes and in many cases
lost his land, the same having been sold for taxes. The sheriff of Jasijer
county was the biggest real estate dealer here. He had good, but unpleas-
ant, deals on hand every day in the week and every month in those never-
to-be-forgotten years, remembered best by the fathers and grandfathers
of those now owning and occupying the lands of Jasper countv. Those
were the harvest days for those who had kept their cash well in hand and
had the money at the right time, to bid on tax titles.
The limit of time for redemption was short then as compared with the
three year limit of today. So bad was the case in Iowa, that the Legisla-
ture had to step in and relieve actual settlers from execution, by extending
the day of redemption on taxes unpaid by land owners.
The granaries of Jasper county were indeed full to the overflowing.
The fertile soil had kept on producing well and the amount of wheat, oats
and corn in crib and granary was something wonderful to behold. Good
horses stood in the stables and sheds, fat steers and hogs in their wonted
places, but there was no cash to be seen or had "for love or high interest.''
as one pioneer put it. The storekeeper would take such commodities in
exchange for his wares — at his own price, howe\er. For many weary,
anxious months the transactions were all accomplished on this barter plan.
Xotes were given for so many bushels of wheat or corn, or again for so
many pounds of pork. When a farmer wanted a sled or wagon, new or
repaired, he first had to consult the mechanic or dealer as to what sort of
"truck" he ^\■ould take and how much he would allow for the same, for such
and such articles, or work to l>e performed.
Yes. indeed, Jasper county suffered immensely rluring the [)anic — more
so than at any other time during its entire history. But little land in this
county escaped the sale for taxation. During the ill-fated winter of 1837-8.
it is related for a fact, that a load of wheat on the street in Xewton could
not be exchanged for a pound of coffee. Muscatine and Keokuk (too far
to be reached by many) were the only market points where this article
could be exchanged for anything of much real value to the producer. This
state of affairs kept on until the breaking out of the great civil conflict. 1861.
It is true that during 1858-9 — the rush days to Pike's Peak — the farmers
had a breathing spell while the long caravans of gold seekers were passing
through this county en route to the far off west. They left some good money
26o JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
with tlie farmers for the proxisions they needed. Then came the Mormon
exodus, which left a Httle more ready cash on which to tide this county
over.
As late as 1861 exchange on X^ew York in Xewton ruled at thirty per
XKW ton's banks.
The L. 1). Clark Banking House, of Xewton. was estal>lished in 1866,
by L. D. Clark. It is a private banking concern with no specified capital.
The owner is L. D. Clark and the officers are Jay Clark, manager, and
D. L. Clark, cashier. Its building was erected in 1867. It stands well
among the reliable banks of Jasper county.
The Jasper County Savings Bank was organized in 1869, by Gen,
James Wilson and Albert Lufkin with a capital of $20,000. It now has
a paid up capital of $100,000, with officers as follows: J. JM. Woodrow,
president; F. M. Woodrow, vice-president; A. E. Hindorff. cashier. The
bank building was erected in 1892, in which the extensive business is carried
on at this date.
When first established this banking concern was known as the Jasper
County Bank, but since Februar}- i, 1908, it has operated under a charter
as a savings institution, under the same officers and management. This
bank does a large business and has the full confidence of all within this
section of the state. The management has always been conservative and
at all times honorable in its transactions.
The Citizens State Bank was organized in 1896, with a capital of
$60,000, which is also its present capital. Jt was at first formed and known
as the Farmers and Alerchants State Bank, but its name was changed to
the Citizens State Bank in 1905.
The first set of officers were as follows : F. R. \\'itnier. president ;
O. H. \\'itmer, cashier. At this date its officers are: Joe Horn, president;
Charles Seeberger, vice-president : Lee E. Brown, cashier. The February,
191 1, statement published for this banking house, shows the deposits to
have been at that date, $305,334.38 : total liabilities, $377,543.46 ; undivided
profits, $9,000. In the list of directors a])pear the names of Joe Horn,
C. F. Morgan and F. A. ]\IcMurray. The Citizens Bank of X^ewton has
for the last six or seven years publislied and distrilmted free to its i:)atrons
or others desiring it a small eight-page, dduble-cohinm ])a])er containing nianv
valuable and higlily interesting items concerning banking, as well as general
literary items. It is a neat folder, printed in modern st}le and is looked
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 261
for with the return of each month 1)\- hnndreds of ])ersons who ha\e read
it a number of \ears.
The First National Bank of Xewton was organized in 1882 and was
the first national hank chartered in jasper county. It first officers were V.
T. Campbell, president ; C. Griebling. vice-president : C. Glenaker, cashier.
The present officers are: W. C. Bergman, president: l\. B. Alfree and C.
Slonaker, vice-presidents: R. L. Arn<jld. cashier.
The present surplus and profits are $105,000. The bank was erected
in 1886 and is «mi the northwest corner of the courthouse square. This
banking house is the only government depository in Jasi)er county.
The Xewton Savings Bank was organized in 1890, with J. H. Lyday,
president: Charles Jasper, vice-president: C. Slonaker. cashier. This is
run in connection with tlie hirst X^ational. a1)o\e mentioned, and its i)resent
officers are one and the same. The combined resources of the two banks
were, in May, 191 1. $700,000. The combined deposits of both banks was
at the date last named $500,000. The surplus and undivided profits are. w hen
combined. $122,000. The X'ewton Sa\ings Bank was also the first to be
incorporated in Jasper county.
These two banks have the share of business they justly merit in Jasper
countv and surrounding vicinity. They have the confidence of the entire
communitv. as safe, conservati\e bankers and business men.
BAN KING AT MONROE.
The Monroe Savings Bank, of this county, which was organized after
the Civil war, finally became known as the Bank of Monroe. In 1875 this bank
was converted into the First X^ational Bank of Monroe, with Tunis Schenck,
president: W. H. Chipps. vice-president: R. C. Anderson, cashier; T. Chad-
wick, assistant cashier: William White. James H. Loundsbury, Manly
Giflford, George J. Dix. directors. Finding the business not remunerative,
it surrendered its charter January i. 1878, and at once re-organized its
capital into the State Bank, with a paid up capital of $55,000 and it had the
same set of officers.
It was conducted in the last named manner until August 10. 1904.
when it was organized into the First National Bank, with a capital of
$25,000. the same which it still operates with. Its first officers were: A. J.
Porter, president: J. P. Johnson, vice-president: C. T. Schenck. cashier.
A bank building was erected on the west side of the square in 1906. The
present officers are: .\. J. Porter, president: Fred \\'hitehead. vice-president:
262 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
F. B. Kingdon, cashier; F. D. Chipps, assistant cashier. The last state-
ment shows this bank had deposits amounting to $157,000 and loans out
amounting to $126,000.
In connection with this national bank is the Monroe Savings Bank,
organized at the same date as the national. Its capital was, and is still.
$10,000. The present officers are: J. W. LeGrand, president: George
Lackey, vice-president; F. B. Kingdon. cashier. Deposits, $120,000; loans,
Si 12.000.
The State Savings Bank of Monroe was organized January 30, 1893,
with a capital of $17,000. which has been increased to $25,000 since 1908.
The first officers of this banking house were: W. H. Shaw, president; T. P.
Burchinal, vice-president; Josiah Fisher, cashier; T. P. Burchinal. assistant
cashier. The officers in the spring of 191 1 are: W. H. Shaw, president;
T. P. Burchinal. vice-president: W. M. Livingston, cashier: O. W. Burchinal,
assistant cashier; the last named, with W. O. Tice, G. W. Loar and E. W.
Henry are the directors. The present capital stock and surplus amounts to
$33,000. The l)ank building now used was built in 1898. at a cost of about
$8,000.
BANKING AT REASONER.
The Reasoner Savings Bank was organized June 2. 1900, as a private
banking house, with a capital of $10,000. Its president and proprietor
was Josiah Fisher. In 1905 the bank was incorporated as a State Savings
Bank, carrying the same cash capital as when it was established as a private
concern. The first officers of the incorporated banking house were : H. B.
Allfree. president: B. B. Trout. \ice-presi(lent : W. A. ^\'illianlson. cashier;
C. C. Warring, assistant cashier. The a1)ove. with Riley Lust, are the Ijank's
directors.
This town being within one of the best stock shipping sections in Jasper
county, the banking business is good and has been considered one of the
safest of financial institutions, having the confidence of the entire community.
In the start the bank was kept in the Edwards store building, but
in 1907 a substantial brick structure was built for banking purposes exclu-
sively.
BANKS OF PRAIRIE CITY.
As might be expected in such an enterprising place as Prairie Citv.
situated as it is in the heart of one of the finest farming sections in all
Iowa, banking flourishes there. The historv of the banks is as follows :
JASI'ER COUNTY, IOWA. 263
In 1876 a private banking house was established by L. E. Zachary,
who had a capital of $25,000. He erected a handsome brick banking house,
and continued as a private bank until May. J 893. when it l)ecame the
First National Bank, with the same capital stock. Under the new l>ank,
the first president was J. D. Whisenand, who is still at the head of the bank;
the vice-presidents are B. F. Moore and J. G. Olmsted; cashier. Hugh (j.
Little; the additional directors are J- H. Little, A. A. Arnold and E. A.
Nye. ^Ir. Little has served as cashier since 1909. when he succeeded W. D.
Scott, who had succeeded Fred L. Risser.
The March. 191 1, statement makes a good showing for the bank, as
is to be seen by the following items: Loans, $264,543; United States bonds
(five per cent), $13,125; cash and due from banks, $49,532, as resources.
The liabilities include: $25,000 capital stock; surplus and profits, $10,276;
circulation, $12,500; deposits, $281,924. This gives a total of $329,701,
liabilities and resources, including the real estate holdings.
The Prairie City State Bank was organized December 2, 1889, with the
same capital it now runs under, $25,000. The officers were: Dr. S. V.
Duncan, president; John Ryan, vice-president; B. W. Brown, cashier. This
banking house has always been conducted in a safe, conservative manner,
hence has always had the good will and confidence of the community. Its
officers in the spring of 191 1 are: T. E. Johns, president; A. G. Warner,
vice-president; John Ryan, vice-president; John R. Buckley, cashier, and
Estell Porter, assistant cashier. Its late statements show that the amount
of deposits was $250,056, and its total liabilities were, on March 7, 191 i.
$282,237.
BANKING AT NEWBURG.
Being within one of the richest portions of Jasper county, it is not to
be wondered at that pioneer John Borroughs saw fit to organize the present
Savings Bank of Newburg. in the month of October. 1908. Its first and
present capital is Sio.ooo. Its first officers were John Borroughs (now
deceased) ; P. Y. Fuller, vice-president, and A. K. Murphy, cashier. The
brick bank building was erected as the home of the institution in October
of the year in which the bank was organized.
The present officers are : John Newcomer, president ; P. Y. Fuller,
vice-president: A. K. Murphy, cashier. The stockholders were originally
about fortv-two, manv of whom were fanners in the northeast part of
this countv. The last statement shows deposits amounting to about $50,000.
The bank has among items in its last statement, loans to the amount of
264 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
$45,000. The itistitution is in the hands of safe, conservative men, inckid-
mg that excellent business man of many years" commercial training. A. K.
Murphy, the efficient cashier.
MIXGO BANKING INTERESTS.
The Ming;!) Trust and Savings Bank was established in 1894 and incor-
porated in 1904. Its founder and president was F. R. Witmer. who started
with a capital of S3.000. The present officers are: F. R. Witmer, president:
W. J- Gannon, vice-president : A. W. Frey. cashier. The ])resent capital
is Si 5.000: deposits about $70,000: loans about $70,000. Ilie neat brick-
bank building was constructed in 1905.
BANKING AT LYNNVILLE.
Macy Brothers Exchange Bank of Lynnville was established in 1891,
by Macy Brothers (E. B. and C. O. Alacy), who started on a capital of
$5,000. The present officers are : C. O. Macy. president : E. B. Macy.
cashier: E. M. Carey, assistant cashier. The present capital is $10,000.
with a surplus of $2,000. The bank building was erected in 1900. Prior
to this banking house. Johnson Brothers operated a private bank at Lynn-
ville a number of years.
BANKING AT B.VXTER.
What is now known as the State Savings Bank of Baxter was originally
established and known as the City Bank of Baxter, the date of its establish-
ment being 1894. George D. and Alexander Wood established the City
Bank, were the president and vice-president respectively, and the cashier
was R. L. Arnold.
The State Savings Bank was formed and incorporated in 1902 and it
then took over the business of the old City Bank and in 1906 it also took over
the banking interests of the Farmers State Bank of Baxter.
The present officers are: Fred Hager. president: 11. .\. Geise. vice-
president : Charles Burdick, cashier.
The capital is now $30,000. with a surplus and undi\ide(l profits of
$12,000. The building was erected in 1895.
At this date the directors are : Fred Hager, H. S. Downs, Charles
Sanderman, A. C. Meyer. George T. Hager. TI. A. Geise. Henry Krampe.
JASPER COrXTV. IOWA. 265
The showini^- made in the fall of k^io was. loans. $288,000. and (le])<)sit.s
amounting to $3i7/)79.
There were at that date about fifty stockholders.
The People's State Bank was organized in 1906, by L. 1*:. l-'owk-r. with
a capital of $15,000. A handsome bank building was erected the same year
of the bank's organi/:ation. The present officers re: A. D. Berry, presi-
dent: L. R. Fowler, cashier. The present capital is $15,000: surplus and
profits. $2,400. This banking house, although new, is gaining a good repu-
tation and a good grade of business.
BANKING AT IRA.
At the village of Tra. this county, the Farmers' Savings Bank was estab-
lished in 1904 by the citizens of Tra and vicinity, with a capital of $10,000. Its
first officers were: B. F. Baker, president: W. F. Rippey. vice-president: C. S.
Weston, cashier. The officers in 191 i are: B. F. Baker, president: TIenrv
Miller, vice-president: \\'. I. Price, cashier. Their recent statement shows
loans amounting to $62,000: deposits $60,000: net earnings $800.
KAXKINC, AT KF.IJ.OC.O.
At the enterprising town of Kellogg, banking was first established bv
J. B. Burton — a private banking house — in 1881. This continued to serve
all demands in the community until 1900, when it became organized into
a state bank under the name of the Burton & Company State Bank. Its
present capital is $80,000. The present officers are: J. 1]. Burton, presi-
dent; C. J- Irish, cashier: R. C. Burton, assistant cashier.
In September, 1908, the whole scpiare upon which stood the bank was
destroyed by a sweeping fire and the bank was destroyed. Then the same
year (1908) the present bank was built. It is a fine structure on the main
street.
The last statement of this bank shows they had deposits amounting to
$225,764.15, while its undivided profits, etc., amounted to $6,871.60.
COLFAX P.AXKTXG.
The Citizens State Bank of Colfax was established in iS(/). It was the
successor to a private banking concern called the Citizens Bank. The present
bank was established bv "M. B. W'heelock and S. d. Ruby, with a paid up
206 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA,
capital of $35,000, which, with the surphis funds, now amounts to $50,000.
The first officers were: S. G. Ruby, president; W. M. Croft, vice-president;
M. B. Wheelock, cashier. The present officials are: C. W. Crissman, presi-
dent; S. B. Wheelock. vice-president; M. B. Wheelock, cashier. The present
deposits amount to about $300,000, with loans amounting to $275,cxx). The
bank has always had a good growth and is now in a flourishing condition.
Suavity of manner on the part of the officers of this bank is a marked feature
of their dealing with customers.
After the failure of the Bank of Colfax (which is treated elsewhere in
this chapter), w^hich closed its doors and passed into the hands of a recei\er
appointed by the district court, the building in which that defunct institution
had been kept was sold by the receiver at public auction, and purchased by P.
E. Johannsen for about $13,000, and he at once established the People's
Loan & Trust Company, .\bout the same date Des Moines capitalists came
to Colfax and established the First National Bank and the two new concerns
run for several years, after which they sold to the People's Loan & Trust
Company, the two banks becoming one. This continued until the Johannsen
interests were sold to the present owners of the First National Bank.
In 1904 R. A. Craw-ford and W. W. Lyons, of Des Moines, established
the First National Bank. The first officers were W. \V. Lyons, president ;
E. E. Dotson. vice-president; A. S. Marcjuis, cashier. The present officers
are : F. E. Boyd, president ; R. D. Atchison, cashier ; R. E. Cummings, assist-
ant cashier. The capital has always been $25,000. The present deposits are
$115,000, with loans amounting to $85,000. The building in which the bank
is kept was erected in 1881.
This bank has the confidence of the citizens of Colfax and the new men
at the head of the concern are loyal and true to every interest of their newly
adopted city.
BANK FAILURES.
What was known as the Bank of Newton failed in 1884. ^t was a
private concern and its cashier was J. G. Cotton, who dealt on the Board of
Trade in Chicago and went under for fifty thousand dollars. Much might
be added to the history of this transaction, l)ut it may be best to let the
"dead bury tlie dead" and keep silent. Suffice to say. that the guilty one paid
the j)enally for his wrong doing. I hit the (lei)()sitors ne\er received the funds
he had squandered in speculation.
Other bank failures have been at Baxter, Lynnville and Colfax. Of the
Colfax failure let it be said that the Bank of Colfax was a copartnership
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 267
banking house, doing business at the city of Colfax. Its cashier and gen-
eral manager was one of the two who formed the copartnership, the other
member being an uncle of the cashier. The cashier was named George D.
Wood, a fine looking, brainy, business man, in whom his uncle and all patrons
of the bank had the utmost confidence. But in an unguarded moment he
thought he saw a short cut — a "get-rich-(juick" plan — and dealt in options on
the Chicago Board of Trade, which concern has ruined so many hundreds of
good business men. He turned out to be a "plunger" — he invested in any-
thing and everything from stocks of goods to live stock speculations and
finally the grain pit. The capital was sui)posed to be about $75,000. He was
badly involved in December, 1903, and on the 4th day of that month he"
deliberately shot himself through the temple, ending his life instantly. There
were over eleven hundred creditors to his bank, and these included bankers
in the chief cities and towns in Iowa; widows and orphans in estate forms,
and merchants. The total of all claims against the bank was, in round figures,
$624,000, while the receiver, W. O. McElroy, of Newton (appointed by
Judge Preston), after three years and two months' hard, faithful .service,
including carrying three cases through the supreme court, was only able to
pay out $235,000, or about thirty-nine and sixty-five hundredths cents on a
dollar of the claims in question. The largest claim was over a hundred thou-
sand dollars. Banks at Marshalltown, Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Daven-
port, Washington, etc., all got fleeced, as well as one bank at Colfax, which
suffered many thousand dollars of loss. In fact the business interests of the
city of Colfax suffered for a number of years, before full confidence in money
institutions could be restored — people were all afraid of banks and bankers
for a long time after this failure and sudden tragic ending oi their esteemed
fellow townsman. ]^Ir. Wood.
LIST OF JASPER COUNTY BANKS.
As shown in the Iowa Bank Directory for January. 191 i. the following
is concerning Jasper county banking interests :
Place. Xame. Organized. Capital.
Baxter — People's State Bank 1906 $15,000
Baxter — State Savings Bank 1894 30.000
Colfax — Citizens' State Bank 1893 35.000
Colfax — First National Bank 1904 25,000
Ira — Farmers' Savings Bank 1904 10,000
268 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Kellogg — Burton <S; Co. State Bank 1881
Lvnnville — Macy Bros." Exchange Bank 1889
Mingo — Mingo Trust & Savings Bank 1894
Monroe — Monroe National Bank 1870
Monroe — Monroe Savings Bank 1904
Monroe — Monroe State Savings Bank 1893
Xewburg — Newburg Savings Bank 1908
Xewton — First National Bank 1882
Xew ton— Citizens' State Bank 1905
Xewton — Xewton Savings Bank 1890
Xewton — Jasper County Savings Bank 1869
Xewton — Bank of L. D. Clark 1866
Prairie City — Prairie City State Bank 1890
Prairie City — First Xational Bank 1893
Reasoner — Reasoner Savings Bank 1900
Sully— Bank of Sully 1889
Total capital of all banks, aside from the L. D. Clark
private banking" house
The total surplus and profits amounts to
80.000
10 000
15,000
25.000
10.000
25.000
10,000
65,000
60.000
15.000
1 00.000
25,000
25.000
10,000
7.500
$597'50«
i82.s6o
NORTH SIDE SQUARE. NEWTON. IN 1861
NORTH SIDE SQUARE, LATER
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE CITY OF NEWTON.
Newton, the seat of justice for Jasper county, now has a population
(according to the latest census) of 4.616 people, has a fine public librarv, ten
churches, a $200,223 court house, paved streets, four excellent hanking in-
stitutions, three railways, twenty-five bus\- factories, employing upwards of
fi\e hundred persons constantly, the best municipal electric lighting plant in
any town in Iowa of its size, a fine water plant and a water supply showing
ninety-eight per cent, purity, with nine miles and more of water mains, seven
or eight miles of sewer, and coal mines in three directions from the city. Its
population has increased more than twenty-five per cent, in the last decade.
BEGINNING OF THE CITY.
Xewton was located as the county seat by the locating commissioners
named in the act of the Legislature creating the county, and these men were
sworn before Justice of the Peace Ballinger Aydellotte. 2^Iay 11, 1846, to
''take into account the future as well as the present population of the county."
The report of this commission will be found in the general chapters of this
work.
It may not be without some interest to know what town lots sold iov in
Xewton in 1846, hence the subjoined account of same will be given. This is
from a record of lots sold in the newly platted town of "X'ewton City," as
Xewton was at first called: John R. Sparks, lot i. block 20, $^7: John
Wilson, lot 3, block 20. $20: Joab Bennett, lot 4, block 21, $20: John X".
Kinsman, lot 2. block 21. $14: C. X. Hamlin, lot 4, block 15, $20; William
Hanshaw. lot 3. block 15. $27: T. J. Adamson. lot 4, block 22, $10.50; T. J.
Adamson, lot 5. block 14. S7 : Xathan Williams, lot 5. block 9, S31 : William
Edmundson, lot 5, "block 9, ^t,2\ :\Ianly Gifford, lot i, block 16, $31 ; .\lvin
Adkins. lot 7. block 16, $31; Joab Bennett, lot 8, in block 9, $26: James
Pearson, lot 7. block 16, $13.62: William Hanshaw, lot 6, in block 15, $20:
J. X. Kinsman, lot i, block 21, $8: Joab Bennett, lot 8, block 16, $25: T. J.
.Adamson. out-lots i. 14. 21. 23. 2^. at. respectively. $5. Sio. $31. S7 and
$7.25.
It will be an interesting problem for some realty man of this day to go
through this list of lots and com])ute their ])resent value.
270 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
NEWTOX TOWN PLAT SURVEYED.
The records of Jasper county show that at a meeting of the county com-
missioners in June, 1846, it was ordered that the town plat of the new county
seat; "Xewton City," be surveyed into lots. The record of July 7th, that
vear, shows that orders were allowed out of "the town money," to Rdchard
Fisher, Thomas Henderson, Joab Bennett, J. N. Kinsman, Samuel Metz,
lames Edgar. Closes Lacy, T. C. Underwood and William Campbell, in all
amounting to eighty-one dollars, all of the persons named having taken
some i)art in the survey of the new town and county seat.
The survey of the original plat was executed by Silas Sawyer, who, the
books show, was allowed sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents for such services
and that his work was performed about June 25, 1846. There were twenty-
nine blocks, of eight lots each, and twenty-nine out-lots. The streets from
north to south were South. Marion, IMain, McDonald. A\'ashington and
X<irth. and those from west to east were Farmer, Mechanic, Olive, Spring,
Market. Vine and Race. The location was describetl as being the "northwest
of section 34, township 80, range 19."
The first building erected on the plat was early in the autumn of i84r>,
by John X. Kinsman, on lots t and 2, block 21. It was a log structure.
The second building was that built by Joab Bennett. This was a hewed
log building and its owner intended to rent it to the commissioners for a
county building (court house), but he was disappointed in this. A little later
a small store was opened by a Mr. Van Horn.
An old historic item runs thus : 'W son of William Edmundson relates
that in the spring of 1847, being then six years old. he accompanied his father
on a considerable drive across the prairie. Several miles awav he saw a
flag floating in the air above a building, which, according to his recollection,
stood solitary- and alone. Boylike, he set his question-mill going and soon
found from his father that the people had laid out a town called X^ewton
City the year before for a county seat, and that the building he saw was a
small store."
"Upon a virgin prairie, forest decked,
A pole was set in seeming pride erect.
Upon its ])oint the stars and stripes unfurled
Proclaimed its due importance to the world ;
And, where that starry emblem kissed the breeze,
A town was platted, — Newton, if you please."
RiNEHART.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 2/1
The residents in Xewton in 1850 were made up of about the following
persons, possibly a half dozen others whose names ha\e escaped the notice
of the earliest historian of the county : \V. M. Springer and family, hotel :
John H. Franklin and family, cabinetmaker and justice of the peace; Ezekiel
Shipley and family, carpenter: Willis Green and family, farmers; P. M.
Wood and family, plasterer; Jesse Rickman and family, postmaster and
clerk of the county board of commissioners; James Edgar and familv, black-
smith; Calel) Lam]) and family, carpenter; L. L. D. Kennedy and Jesse R.
Kennedy, carpenters; Joseph Morgan and family, blacksmith; Job Springer,
clerk; James Fry and family, farmers; Re\'. Strange Brooks and familv. cir-
cuit preacher of the ^Methodist Episcopal denomination; John Meredith and
family, blacksmith; Zadock ]\[. Allen, blacksmith; Dr. D. R. Rodgers; Mrs.
Good and Mrs. Peter Miller and daughter; E. Hammer, teacher.
It would appear that blacksmiths were in great demand at that day, for
it will be obserxed that out of the first colony which located on the new town
site, three were knights of the forge.
The first drugs were sold in way of patent medicines kept bv John H.
Franklip in his furniture and undertaking establishment. It was he who had
for "free distribution" a lot of Dr. Jayne's Almanacs, on the back cover of
which was printed the ad\-ertisement of ''John H. Franklin, corner of Farmer
and South streets, Xewton. Iowa, cabinetmaker and undertaker and dealer in
patent medicines.''
The first school was taught by Elisha Hammer in the old court house,
and spelling schools were frequent and interesting.
The early hotel was the Ault House and later, after, additions had been
made thereto, it was styled the Tammany House. ]Many a good story is
told of this pioneer stopping place. Some are doubtless true and many
anotlier one untrue, hence none will find place in this connection. Jo Thomas
was one of the funny oddities who lx)re the title of landlord at this hotel and
he it was who had a suit in court and when the judge (AIcFarland) was en-
tering his decision on the record, just as Thomas entered the court room, the
judge looked up and remarked, "Jo Thomas, by G — . I am beatin' you. You
don't set up enough corn at vour table. I enter judgment against you for
S and costs." Thomas conducted this house many years. It was a stage
station and manv a weary traveler was sheltered beneath its roughly made
walls. It was burned in 1857 and was known at that day as the Ohio House.
Of all the various industries and enterprises of which Xewton may
justly be proud today none are more lacking than that of hotels, there being
2-2 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
onlv one hotel in the city, ami there is oertainl}- room tor at least two more,
of reasonable rates and acceptable fare.
But to resume the story of early matters in Newton, let it be said that
at the close of the Civil war period ( 1866) the ])usiness of the city was in
the hands of the following persons, chiefly:
Xewspapers — Jasl>cr Free Prrss. Republican, b}- h'rank T. Campbell ;
Xcuio)i Baimrr, Democratic, by John A. ^^'ilson.
Crocers, Wholesale and Retail — John Meyer, R. Dixon, Anderson &
Pardoe, A'ernon Skiff. John Dixon. I. E. Webster, Bradway & Belt, Joseph
Rodgers. the last named a refreshment saloon.
General Merchants— J. B. O'Neal & Brother. George Wright, Sawyer &
Company, G. G. Lindley & Company, J. M. Blanchard. McCalmont t^ Broth-
ers, S. E. Zinn, Loomis & Company, Miller & Little.
Druggists — Dr. J. Green. Hammer & Company, Evans & Company.
Jewelers — C. J. Housel. Chapman & Dawson.
Hardware — Rhodes Lee. Thrift & Clippinger. \\'il]iam \'au§han.
l'\u-niture — David Vangeison, W. H. Silsby.
Dentists — C. J. Housel. W. E. Roseman.
Harness — Milton Anderson, A. J. Osborn, R. McDowell, P. Alesworth.
.\ttorneys — O. C. Howe, G. R. Shays, ^^'inslow &: Lindley, S. G. Smith,
R. A. Sankey. J. W. Wilson, J. W. Sennett. D. L. Clark.
Physicians — Drs. J. R. Gorrell, H. E. Hunter, E. H. Mershon. H. J.
Walker, A. Patton, B. M. Eailor, Jabez Green, A. T. Ault.
Hotels — Phelps House, Union Hotel, City Hotel.
Miscellaneous Dealers, etc. — Livery, Sampey & Company ; marble shop ;
photographer, S. D. Leveridge ; bookseller. Charles Gillman ; clothing, Gar-
rett & Company; patent medicines, A. T. Ault, manufacturer; meat market.
James Lester; lumber sealer. \\'illiam Durose, Hough & Atwater; boots and
shoes. R. McDowell. Milton Anderson. \\"illiam Manning. John Lloyd.
The year of JCS75 was one of the most noted for building operations in
Newton, up to that date, two hundred thousand dollars worth of building being
effected. Among the structures may l)e remembered the Masonic block, J. B.
Eyerly's building, J. W. Wilson's, Caleb Lamb's, Burns & Condit, Henry
Sami)ey, on the west side of the public square. West from northwest from
the square was the W. H. L. Kjing and Henry Sampey's buildings; at the
southea.st corner of the square were the buildings of Mershon and the hotel,
a three-story building, sixty-three by one hundred thirty-two feet in size. At
the same corner was the Joseph McCalmont iroii front building. The better,
larger class of residences included those of Dr. (iorrcll, Willirun Wiughn.
EAST SIDE SQUARE, NEWTON
SCENE ON CHAQUAQUA OR SKUNK RIVER
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 273
Gen. James Wilson. Mr. Ainswoitli. .Xiij^ust W'endt and W. D. W'eineke.
The.se and twenty other buildin<^s were all completed in 1875 '" Xewton.
In the eii^hties. nineties, and a.t(ain in the first vears of the twentieth
century. Xewton had rapid i^rowth. hut never was known as a f)oom town,
always being steady and conser\ati\e in its actions and ad\ancement. Per-
haps within the last twelve or fifteen years has there been more of a genuine
sj)irit of enterprise than in an\- other \ears in the historv of the citv. In this
period the city has come to he known for its many tine i>aying manufacturing
plants, which have gi\en the i)lace much advertising abroad. This is the
well-known home of the patented articles marie bv the famous One Minute
Manufacturing Company, the self-feeding threshing machine and band-cut-
ting machinery, named elsewhere in this chajiter. etc. Todav the hum of
machinery in twenty-five plants can l)e daily heard, while the rtve hundred
persons engaged swell a pay-roll amounting to about fortv thousand dollars
per month.
All tiie \arious retail Imsinesses of a first class citv of its population are
here well represented, the naming of which is useless in this connection. The
great activities of X'ewton are certainly centered in its manv factories, the
whole being in working harmony with the well developed farming com-
munity surrounding the city. The following include the manufacturing
enterprises of Xewton in 191 1 :
The Maytag Comi)any make the Parsons feeder, swinging ele\ator
feeder, Ruth feeder, corn husker and shredder, shock hoist, shock loader, hay
press, grain grader. Pastime washer, hog waterer. belt guide, cvlinder wrench,
automobile parts.
The G. W. Parsons Compan\- make trenching and exca\ating machinery
and do a crucible steel and iron foundr}- business.
One Minute Manufacturing Company make the One Minute washer,
gasoline ])ower washer, electric power washer, gasoline engines, ironing
lx)ards. rinse tul)s. combination farm tools.
X'ewton Balance \'alve Companx make balance \alves.
M. &- E. Manufacturing Companv manufacture acetylene gas lighting
phmts.
Automatic I'^lectric Washer Company manufacture an automatic electric
washer and wringer and gasoline power washers.
Cherry Blossoms Manufacturing Company make flavoring extracts.
American Construction Company ])ut in municipal gas plants.
The Bergman Manufacturing Company make grain graders.
Hummel Manufacturing Company manufacture road graders.
(18)
2-4 JASPER COrXTV, IOWA.
Xewton Ice & Cold Storage Company make artiricial ice.
Xewton Milling Company make Honr and patent pancake Hour.
Oglnirn Manufacturing Company make the detachable manure spreader.
Western Stock Remedy Company make stock remedies.
Henry Held makes cigars.
John O'Leary makes cigars.
Xon-Leak Balance \'alve C()mj)any make balance valves.
Scheurman Brothers make ladies' garments.
Ever Ready Manufacturing Company make ironing boards.
Xewton Manufacturing Company make advertising novelties.
Clipless Paper Fastener Compau}- make the clipless paper fasteners.
Skew Brothers make road graders, disc sharpeners, gray iron castings,
bank and otfice fixtures, show cases, stair cases, exterior and interior finishes,
manure spreaders.
Xewton Disc Plow Company make disc garden plows, and X^ewdisco
electric and power washers.
Engle Coffee Mill Company make power coffee grinders.
M. G Rogers makes cement l)locks.
M. Brown makes brick and tile.
F. Henning makes brick and tile.
C. Schaumberg makes brick and tile.
Ad\ertising Xovelty Manufacturing Company make advertising novel-
ties.
Arthur H. Joy & Company make dental soldering machines.
M. L. Lewis & Son make bottled goods.
E. C. Smith makes breakfast foods.
The Cieorge W. Xewton Company, advertising no\elties.
FLOl'RINT. MILL.S.
One of the mo.st imi)urtant and useful industries Xewton possessed as
early as 1858 was its steam flour mill, which plant made upon an average of
two hundred barrels per day of an excellent grade of flour.
The present milling business is conducted by the X^ewton Milling Com-
pany, H. C. McCardell, proprietor. These mills are not extensive, but do ex-
cellent work. They are located on the corner of Spring and South streets.
Other mills of Jasper county are situated at Baxter, Monroe, Prairie
City. Kellogg and Lynnville.
Ten years ago (1900) the industries of Xewton were summed up as
follows: The Parsons Band Cutter and Self-Feeder Comi)any was organized
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA. 2/5
in 1892. has a capital of $73,000. ccners two and one-half acres with a splen-
did plant, turns out 3.500 machines per annum, worth S600.000. employs
ninety artisans and twenty-five traveling;- men, pays out $80,000 a vear in
wages and sells its product in all the grain growing states of the L'nion.
The Hawkexe l-'eeder Works was incorj)orated in Mav. 1898, l>y Par-
sons. Rich & Company, composed of (ieorge W. Parsons and V. S. Rich.
The plant represents a value of $30,000. turns out 1.200 machines worth
$240,000. sells in all small grain districts. 1"he i)lant covers half a hlock. em-
ploys 46 artisans, six in office, and ten traveling men. and ])avs out in wages
S25.000 per }-ear.
The Taylor-Xewell Company, manufacturers of pants, operate with a
capital stock of $20.ocx). employs 65 people in the factory and five traveling-
men, turn out $100,000 worth of goods and sell in Iowa. Minnesota. South
Dakota. Nebraska. Kansas. Alissouri, Colorado. Illinois. The pav roll is
$15,000 per year. The stockholders are F. M. Taylor. Will G. Xewell.
Charles Seeberger. C. F. Alorgan, Ralph Parmenter. Ralph Robinson. A. C.
riates. E. J. Schuneman. A. J. Anderson. The former is president of the
company.
A. C. Randolph & Company, manufacturers of the Randolph [)neu-
matic stacker, established in 1899, employs 20 men in factory, six tra\-eling
men, turns out 500 stackers worth $125,000 and sells where\-er threshing is
done. A. C. Randolph is manager.
Xewton Steel Cut Milling Company, manufacturers of "W'heat-O"
breakfast food, established in 1898. capital $10,000, turns out $18,000 worth
per year and sells through jobbers in several states. There are fi\e employes
at the mills, two at office and two on the road. The compan\- is composed
of A. H. Bergman. E. C. Smith. J. A\'. Langanback.
The Hawkeye Incubator Company is composed of W. C. and F. H.
P)ergman. was organized in 1898. turns out incubators and the "Ratchet
Slat" washing machine, puts out 2.500 incubators and brooders and 1.000
washers, value $30,000 and employs 2=, men.
In addition to the al)o\e the Skow Bros, manufacture a disc sharpener
and a sand shoveler at their foundry and machine shop.
PO.STOFFICE HISTORY.
A postoffice was established in Xewton in the summer of 1847 ^"^^ T. J.
Adamson was a])pointed postmaster. The mail was carried on horseback
from Iowa Citv. then the state capital. A. B. Meacham was the mail carrier.
276 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Later he became famous in the Modoc Inthan warfare. Mail was thus car-
ried until 1850. when stages were put in operation. It is known, howexer,
that in the winter of 1850-51 the town had only about fifty people within its
borders and that mail was received but once a week. It was brought in by
\'al. Adamson and the po.stoffice was kept in the old court house, where all
hands would congregate to hear the latest news, get a i)aper. ix)ssibly two or
three weeks old. printed in .>^ome one of the states to the east of our own. In
the winter of 1850-51 the postmaster w-as Jesse Rickman, who was also clerk
of the county board of commissioners, and he held his combined office in the
countv l)uilding. near where now stands the magnificent court house. In
1861 .\. W. McDonald was postmaster; he succeeded Perry Grossman, who
was appointed under President James Buchanan. The records are lost from
the date of Mr. McDonald to 1868. when followed these: G. B. Hunter,
David Flowers, T. M. Rodgers. Samuel Sherman, L. S. Kennington, M. A.
McG(»r(l, George Glark, Jr., the present postmaster.
In 1886 this office was made a second-class ofilice. About 1900 the
rural free delixery went into force at Newton office and now there are rural
carriers. The office was made a free city delivery office in 1899. with three
carriers, which has l)een increased to four. The office has been in its present
place al>out seven years, and just ])revious to the present (piarters the post-
office was kept on the west side of the pulilic square. The amount of business
transacted, outside of the money order business, in 1910 was twentv-five
thousand dollars. There are now twelve mails each way daily, and the total
number of ])ersons em|)loyed, including the rural carriers, is eighteen.
During tlie administration of T. M. Rodgers as po.stmaster. on the eve
of St. X'alentine's day. 1893. the office was burglarized of three hundred dol-
lars of government money and alx)ut the same amount belonging to the {XDSt-
niaster. Xo clue as to the thief was ever had, but, aside from positive proof,
it was really known who took the mone\'.
MlNCJl'AI. lirSTOKV.
Xewton was incorporated under a special charter, being one of the few-
cities in Iowa thus incorporated. The legislative act incorporating the place
was approved and dated January 26, 1857. Section 19 of the articles of
incor]K)ration reads as follows:
'"The county judge of the county of Jasper is hereby authorized to issue
an order for an election, to lie held in the .said town of Newton on the first
Mfjnday of .\pril next, for the adoption or rejection of this act of incorpora-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 2/7
tion, and the election hoard ot the township oi Xewton. in the said county.
sliall on said day open a separate poll for the ])urpose of such votes; said
election to be held in accordance with the laws governing county elections.
Those in favor of the adoption of this act shall write on their tickets 'ff)r in-
corporation ;' those opposed to the adoption of this act shall write on their
tickets 'against incorporation.' Only the resident voters of said town shall
be eligible to vote at said election."
At the above election there were one hundred and twenty-one votes cast
for incorporation and thirty-four against the proposition. The first corpora-
tion election was held May 4, 1857, Imt the records of Xewton have not been
l)reser\ed and hence the list of the first few set of officials cannot now l)e
arrived at. An old history states that the first mayor was Hugh Newell.
It should be said in connection witli the legislative act by which Xewton
became an incorp(^rated town, in i^^y. that through a clerical blunder, the
act defined the location as being "in township 81,'' which would bring it six
miles north of where the town does in fact lie. and was intended bv the peti-
tioners to be located. This error caused much anncjyance for a number of
years, especially in attempting to enforce any criminal law. This, however,
was later remedied l)y the Legislature.
The records show that the following ser\ed as officers of the town of
Xewton in 1868: D. D. Piper, mayor; Jcjhn C. Wilson, recorder: W. II.
Hough. F. T. Campbell. James McGregor, C. K. I-'ord. J. M. Hiatt and
George T. Anderson, councilmen.
During the summer of 1868 there was a large amount of wooden side-
walk put down on the streets of X'ewton. as a result of the town [)eing in-
corporated.
Tn September. 1869, one hundred and fourteen citizens and four "not
eligible" petitioned the council to repeal the ordinance prohibiting the sale of
"ale, wine and beer," but it was tabled and not long before the reiuon-
strance of one hundred and thirty voters and ninety-six ladies was presented
to the same body. N^ewton has never had legalized saloons. The ladies have
to be given much credit along this line, be it recorded to their honor.
Tn September. 1869. the council granted the right to F. 11. ( iriggs to
construct a horse car line through the alley running north and south between
Race and Vine streets, from the Rock Island depot to the south line of Xew-
ton. and thence west on the street along the south side of the incorporation,
to connect with the public road leading to the fair grounds. But it appears
that the franchise was never taken advantage of, for there was never any
street railroad constructed in X'^ewton.
jjS JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
FIRST TOWN CHARTER ABANDON ED.
On Februarv 28. 1870. thrdUi^h llie i)etili()n of eighty-se\en citizens,
with no renit^nstrance ai^ainst it. the special charter of Xewton's first incor-
iwration was al)an(lone(l. and the place was then organized under the laws of
the state as seen in chapter 51, i860. An election was held in April of that
vear and the question was voted upon and resulted in a \ote of eighty-seven
for and none against, thus reorganizing the town inc(jrporation. The Hrst
officers under the new town government were as follows: J. A. Hammer,
mavor; L. B. Westbrook. recorder: J. A. Garrett. M. A. Blanchard. J. A.
WiLson. C. Connelly. J. J. Vaughan. conncilmen : A. J. Osl^orn. treasurer: W.
H. Hough, assessor.
On ^\a\' 5, 1870. the ccnuicil divided the city into five wards and about
the same date instituted a "pound" and purchased land on which to place the
same.
On Januarv 30, 1871. the limits of the place were extended to the extent
of eightv acres, in section 2/: two hundred acres in section ^7,: two hundred
and forty acres in section 34.
On May 30. 1870. the right of wa}- through the city limits was refused
to the Jasper County Coal & Railroad Company and to the Iowa, ^Minnesota
& Northern Pacific Company : but on the 2d of August, that year, the appli-
cation of the latter company was granted and an ordinance issued therefor.
Xewton became a city of the second class in ]\Iay. 1870.
FIRE DEPARTMENT BEGINS.
The beginning of the present fire department in Xewton was effected in
1874. when about twenty members, which soon increased to fortv-five. or-
ganized themselves into a hook and ladder companv. S. J. Mover was its
president: J. J I. Tait. foreman: Alex. Work, first assistant: J-'rank Clark, sec-
ond assistant; Alanson Clark, secretary: H. K. Stahl, treasurer. The present
company consi.sts of about thirty-five men. Iliey are in charge of the hook
and ladders and three hose carts, by which they ha\e l)eeii very successful in
fighting fires.
A city hall was erected in about 1886 and is still in use. The mayor
has his private office and the city clerk and water su])erinten(lcnt hrnc officc<
in the electric lighting plant.
.lASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 279
ELECTRIC EIC.llT I'l.AXT, WATER WORKS, ETC.
This i)l:int was (jri^inally buill by the Thompson-Houston Companv in
1883 and was of a private ownersliip ty])e. but in 1889 the present citv plant
Avas installed and has furnished lii^ht and power U) the citv since then. It
furnished li^ht at cheaper rates than were had in almost any other citv in
Iowa. Last year (1910) it made a pnjfit of twelve thousand dollars, hence,
after making a cheap rate to patrons, it is far more than self-sustaininj^-.
The city is this year ( 1911 ) installing a gas ])lant for power and heating
purposes, by bonding the city to the amount of forty thousand dollars. Thev
expect to furnish gas as cheaply as possible, but at first it will necessarilv l)e
about ()ne <lollar and fift\- cents per thousand feet.
In addition to the above concerning the establishment of the light plant
in Newton, it should be said that the Thompson-Houston Companv. one of
the largest corporations in lighting and electric plants in America at that
date, held a perpetual franchise in Xewton. Imt l)y reason of the high rates
charged the people, a home concern went into l)usiness for the city and its
municipal benefit. A small plant was installed and little by little thev man-
aged to draw away the patrons of the old prixate company of Thompson-
Houston. That corporation got into litigation with the city of Xewton over
the franchise rights of the city streets: thou.sands of dollars were expended
in the courts, both higher and lower. Then came cutting of rates bv both
companies, until finally it proved unprofitable to both and the Thompson-
Houston people S(jld their entire ])lant for a little more than four thousand
dollars to the cit\ of X'ewton. The next Legislature passed a law that no
city should grant franchise for a longer term than twenty-five years.
Xewton's first water works system was of private ownership, and was
granted its franchise by the city in 1903. It was owned by Messrs. B. W.
Skift'. Charles Seaberger and M. L. MaA-tag. who operated it until 1907,
when the city purchased the plant for forty thousand dollars. Bonds were
issued and floated for the j^aymeni of this needed cit\- impr(~>\ement. It has
come to be almost self-sustaining. The su|)ply of water is had In- a large
nuniber of fortv-five-foot wells sunk to the gravel beds of the fiats lying si.x
miles to the west of the city, near the village of 'Sletz. The water is of the
best and purest in the country. It is i)um])ed In- steam power through cast
iron pipes and forced to elevated tanks in the heart of the city. The original
tank holds eighty-fi\e thousand gallons of water, but the one being con-
structed at the i)resent time is to be one hundred and twenty-eight feet high
28o JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
and constructed ui steel. This will hold one hundred thousand gallons mure.
Both will be used, one as a reserve tank in case of emergency.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
In i8y7 the citizens awoke to the fact that they were behind the times
in which thev were living and some advocated the paving of streets and
making other needed city improvements, another class bitterly opposing
these improvements on account of the necessary expenses, but when the
spring election for city officers came around that was one, if not the prin-
cipal, feature in nominating men for the office of mayor and members of the
council. As it turned out the right man was selected and won out at the
l)olls. This was George Early, who ser\ed one term and was friendly toward
the putting down of the first brick paving Newton had ever had. So well
were the propertv owners pleased that extensions were made from year to
vear until now the city has many miles of paving.
It was under the administration of Mayor Early, too, that the legal
battle over the electric light franchise and original plant was carried forward
and finallv won by the city purchasing the old private plant. Newton now
gets water and lights (under municipal ownership plan) at the cost of pro-
duction.
CITY OFFICIALS.
The following is a list of mayors for Newton, commencing with 1868,
the records having been lost for the i>eriod before that: 1868. D. D. Piper;
1870. J. A. Hammer: 1873. C. Howard; 1874. M. A. Blanchard ; 1875, D. D.
riper: 1877, John A. Wilson, w^hose term was completed by D. Edmundson
and ]\I. A. Blanchard: 1878. M. A. Blanchard; 1879, D. Edmundson; 1880,
X. Townsend : 1887. J. B. Eyerly : 1889, Joseph Stevens: 1893, A. Lufkin;
1898, George Early: 1899. Frank I-ong; 1907, Ed. Cook: 1909 to present
date. O. C. Meredith.
The officers for the city at this date are: ^layor, O. C. ^^leredith:
solicitor. J. E. Cross; clerk. E. C. Finch; deputy clerk. Rov Fisk : treasurer.
I). L Clark: health officer. Dr. E. E. Besser : street commissioner, .\rt Rey-
nolds: marshal, J. H. Robbins; deputy marshal. \\'. V. Wade: superintendent
light, water and gas. Connie OT^eary : councilmen. Frank P. Baldwin. George
H. Warner (at-large). Oscar Coon, first ward: John H. Harvey, second
ward: R. B. Jackson, third ward; Fred Fl. Bergmen, fourth ward. The chief
of the fire department is Bruce E. Sattele : city assessor, E. E. Effnor : over-
•seer of the poor, Ed. Cook.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 28l
FREE I'L-BLIC LIBRARY
As has been well said hy the efficient librarian of the splendid new-
public library of Xewton, "Researches in the ancient history of Xewton re-
veals the fact that the hrst inception of the librar}- idea was due to a Young
Men's Christian Association at a very early date.* The history is not easilv
traced. The fact remains, however, that Xewton counted the furni.shing of
good literature an important factor in the growth of a good town. Later
the work was undertaken b}- the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and
was pushed with the public spirit and energy that characterizes that organi-
zation. It passed through many \icissitudes. and only those of us who have
given years of effort to initial points of service, who have tasted the bitter-
ness of seeming failure, relie\ed by transient gleams of success, can aijjjre-
ciate the patient labors of those days.
"The next stej) was the foundation of the Social I'nion. an enterprise in
which many took an acti\e part — indeed these faithful toilers Inu'lded better
than they knew.
'Tn 1897 the city took charge of the library. In October of that year
the present librarian was employed and the matter assumes the character of
personal history."
Again, in 1910, Miss Belle E. Smith writes a short history of the in-
stitution in which she says :
"X'ewton's free public library of four thousand thirteen volumes and sixty
periodicals is the outgrowth of a library instituted by the ladies of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, in June. 1878. For seventeen years
a handful of self-sacrihcing women conducted a public library and reading
room, supported b}- indixidual contributions of money and Ixnoks and a few
])eriodicals.
"In 1895 the Xewton Social Union succeeded to the management of
the librarv and was very influential in causing the citizens to vote in March.
1896. for the establishment of a public library, as authorized by law and for
a lew of a tax f(^r its maintenance. For three years the society lalxired to
increase the number of books and when they last met, in October, 1898. the
li])rarv contained one thousand eight hundred fourteen volumes. The or-
*Xote. — This must be in error from the fact that an old record discloses the fact
that the Newton Library Association was organized in 1859, prior to any Young Men's
Christian Association work in Iowa. The first invoice of books numbered one hundred
and thirty-two volumes. A. K. Campbell was librarian and the books were kept
at the old court house.
jg2 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
jianization of tlie new free puljlic library, under tlie state laws, was com-
pleted in Jiilv. 1896, by the appt)intnient of nine trustees who were confirmed.
Jn lulv. 1902, in response to a recpiest from the trustees. .Vndrew Carnegie
donated ten thousand dollars for a huildini;-. under the usual conditions im-
posed bv him. .\ lari^e, attractive site was purchased and donated by public-
spirited citizens. December. 1902. saw the library in its own building', the
first time in its existence when it had no rent to i)ay.
This edifice is a two-story brick building, forty-seven by sixty-five feet,
has a heating ])lant and is lighted nicely by electricity. The first floor is
taken up by the library proi)er and five rooms — children's reading room,
general reading room, reference library and toilet room. The second floor
is used bv the Woman's Clul). library trustees, school board and other or-
ganizations.
The number of visitors to the reading rooms are reported not long
since as two thousand fi\e hundred monthly. Already two townsmen have
donated one thousand one hundred dollars toward the book purchasing fund.
The library and reading room are open nine hours through the entire school
vear of the public schools of Newton, and six hours in summer time. The
expenses are reduced some Ijy ha\ing the magazines hand-bound by one of
the women of the place.''
The tax for library maintenance at the jjeginning of 1909 was two and
one- fourth mills on the dollar, but in August that year was increased to
three mills.
The present (1911) trustees of the library are: W. O. McElroy, presi-
dent; Mrs. O. C. Meredith, secretary; O. N. Wagley, Mrs. C. M. Campbell,
E. J. H. Beard, Mrs. F. L. Maytag. E. C. Ogg. C. P. Hunter, Mrs. F. P.
Gardner. Charlotte \'. P>ryant is the librarian and her assistant is Helen M.
Taylor.
T hi: r .\ lox CKM j:t I':rv.
The attention ])aid to the resting place of the departed dead in an^■ gixen
community speaks \olumcs for or against the character of the people of
.such section of the country. Indeed the mark between ci\ilized and unciv-
ilized life is found in this one feature. The city cemetery in .Xewton lias
been fre(|uently \isited by many from otlier parts of Iowa, with the \ic\v of
getting ideas as to caring for their own Ijurial places.
With the first .settlement (jf Xewton ihc bur\ing ground was on the
lots when- now stands the new high schod] l)nilding. Tiiere tiie first ])ioneers
of the ])lace were laid away to rest. Tlu-rc lluw remained until Ci\il war
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 283
days and a little later, when the association which had charge turned it over
to the incorporated town of Xewton. Many of the interments were moved
to the new grounds. The deed record shows that the land where the present
cemeter}' is situated, and which is known as the L'nion cemetery, was origin-
ally owned by Jacob K. Ciuthric. who deeded it to D. E. Longfellow, in Feb-
ruary, i860, for the consideration of $S37- 'his tract contained eleven and
one-(iuarter acres. Mr. Longfellow deeded the same to the incorporation of
Newton, August 23, 1866, for the consideration of ten dollars, the record
reads. This cemetery is located to the northwest of the city and is a part
of section 2H. township 80. range 19. To this has been added two other
small tracts, making the present size of the cemetery about tw'enty acres.
There are numerous l)eautiful native trees growing here and there through-
out the cemetery. In the nineties the sexton, Mr. Kuhn. found it necessarv
to have the ground re-platted, so a better account could be kept of the lots.
At the northeast corner of the grounds is situated the four lots known as
Memorial, or Soldiers', s(piare, where with the return of each Decoration
day the (jrand Army and Relief Corps representatives, with other citizens,
meet and have their own special ceremonies in honor of the fallen heroes,
many of whom are sleeping their last sleep \\ ithin this sacred enclosure. An-
other feature of the cemetery is the chapel, erected in 1900 at a cost of
seven hundred and eighty dollars.
In 1910 a local company erected a large mausoleum ha\ing two hundred
cr)-pts f(^)r the burial of the dead abo\e ground in sealed vaults. This struc-
ture was made of cement block material and adds much to the beauty of the
grounds. Onlv eight bodies are now resting in this place. After the build-
ing was completed it was turned over to the city authorities \\ itli pro\isions
that the citv should maintain it and keep it intact perpetual!)-. Since early
in 191 T the cit}' has cared for it.
THE BUSINESS MEX's .VSSOCIATIOX.
Being ali\'e to e\er\- interest of a growing western cit}-, the abo\e as-
sociation was organized in 1897 ^"^^ '^'^"^^ enjoys a membership of two hun-
dred and foiu". Its hrst officers were H. M. X'aughan. president: A. K.
Hindorff. secretarv. The present officers are W. V. Johnson, president; E.
E. Lambert, secretarv. The association has been instrumental in inducing
manv industries to locate in X'ewton and are still reaching out over the
countrx- l)v means of literature and correspondence, llu-ough tlie \arious chan-
nels of commerce, to make Xewton well known abroad, h'rom its circular
284 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
issued in i<)io and freely distrihuled al the Ikwu stale fair that season, we
(|uote the following:
■"Xewton is situated right in the center of the greatest consuming region
in the world. Iowa is known the country over as l)eing the hest market in
tile west for goods of all kinds and being right in the center of the state,
we are e(|uall\' distant from four great states which hound Iowa on either
side.
"Xewton has one of the largest iron foundries in Iowa, and the only
crucihle steel foundrx- of anv size west of Milwaukee. This is a great con-
venience to small manufacturers who need castings in small ([uantities.
'■l-"or factories Newton ofTers a twenty-four-hour electric current for
motors with as cheap rates as any city in Iowa, large or small. Our fac-
tories are now using several hundred horse power daily from this ])lant,
wliich is owned and operated by the city itself.
"Newton now employs l:>etween fi\e and six hundred persons in her
factories and has ne\-er had a labor trouble of any note in all the years of her
factory history."
CHAPTER XIX.
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP.
Bnena Vista township was organized in February, 1857, by the order
of the then presiding judge. The record shows that the order was, that
there l)e a new township formed b}- the name of Buena Vista, bounded as
follows: "Commencing at the northeast corner of section 25, township
80. range 18; thence west on the section line to the northwest corner of sec-
tion 30, same township and range ; thence south on the range line to the
southwest corner of section 30, township 79, range 18; thence east on the
section line to the southeast corner of section 25, said township and range;
thence north to the place of beginning by the range line."
This refers to original Buena Vista township. There have been some
changes in its boundaries since then, however.
This sub-division of Jasper county derived its name doubtless from the
Mexican city in which our American army entered in the war with Mexico
that had just closed when this county had got fairly well organized and had
among its ])ioneer band many who had taken part in that war.
It is situated to the south of Kellogg, to the west of Richland, to the
north of Elk Creek and Palo Alto, and to the east of Palo Alto townships,
this county. It is six miles square. Among its chief water courses may be
named Little Elm creek. The northw'estern portion of this township has.
or did have at an early day, considerable natural timber. The iK)pulation of
the township in 1905. according to the Iowa state census rei)orts, was ^"/T).
Tt is one of the most excellent farming sections of the county.
Its pioneer settlers were thoughtful and enterprising men and women
whose characters have left their impress upon the present po])ulace. Among
the first persons to enter government land in this townshi]) were: William
Smith, in the west half of the northwest of section 20. August 12.^847:
Evan Adamson. east half of section 18, August 14, 1847.
In 1874 occurred the death of pioneer Henry Hammer. Sr.. who settled
in Buena Vista township in 1848. He was a native of Tennessee and reached
the ripe old age of seventv-three years. He was an anti-slax ery man all of his
eventful life.
286 lASPKK COIXTV. IOWA.
In 1878 the records show that Buena \'ista township liad personal prop-
erty to the extent of $82,718. inclnding 670 horses, eis^hty mules and 1.780
head of cattle. In 1877 the Ijooks show thai this township had i)roperty
\alued for assessment purposes to the amount of $336,000. The tax on
this property broui^ht to the treasury of the county $5,072. See Educational
chapter for the public schools of this township.
CONCEKXING THK SETTLEMENT.
A settlement was made on Elk creek, this township, as early as 1845
in what is stvled the Hixon and Adamson groves. Moses Lacy, of Illinois,
took a claim in the southeast (piarter of section 18, in March. 1845. built a
cabin and later sold to Evan Adamson. who moved to the same in the spring
of 1846. Adamson immigrated from Missouri.
Xathan Williams settled in the northwest (piarter of section 20 in the
autumn of 1845. sold to Bill Smith, known as "Fool Bill," in the spring of
1846. lie sold to Enos Adamson, he to James Robb, and he in turn to
William Robb, who owned the farm in 1900.
l)a\id Adamson took a claim in the northwest (piarter of section 18.
in March, 1846, and the following April sold to Abraham Adamson. He had
sexen sons and from this large family the gro\e took its name.
M. D. Springer took a claim later known as the Sam Scpiires farm,
moving to the same in January, 1846. Ele sold to Elijah Hammer. On
section 20, Ira Hammer claimed land and the date of this entry was 1846.
There pioneer Hammer li\ed and died, barther to the east. William Chen-
e(|oth, from Ohio, and later from Missouri, settled either in 1847 or possibly
the year before. He died there ten years later.
Henry Smith claimed land in 1846 where John Wells li\ed a few vears
ago. He .sold to IVFoses Darling in 1837.
On Elk creek Ballington Aydelotte claimed land in section 8, locating
there in March. 1845, '^''^ ^^^ original entry man. In 1851 he sold to Samuel
McDaniel and later it passed to the ownership of Milton \'ansco\-.
James Plumb. Jr.. settled in a log cabin near where the J. W. Murphv
residence now stands in 1848. In this rude ca])in home the Rew b'unes IMuml)
fn-st saw the light of day. Air. Mur])hy ])urchased this farm in 1856.
John H. Franklin claimed land in the southeast corner of section 6. in
the early days of the spring of 1845. ^^''^ cabin stood near the present school
building on section 5.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 287
William M. Sprini^cr took a claim on the northwest of section 7, in the
fall of 1843.
Da\i(l l^dmundson settled exactly where n(jw stands the conntv poor
farm, in the spring" of 1846.
Jacol) Hennett took land in the northwest of section 6 in 1843; he kej)!
a honse of entertainment for traxelers.
James Pearson settled in section 5. in 1845; this ])ropertv a few vears
since was owned by Daniel W. Alnrphw
Pioneer Pearson came into the connty on foot, made a fire and prepared
his meal and then laid him down to rest, for he was \erv \\ear\ . He slcj)!
by the side of a hnge log, and when he awoke in the earlv morning he dis-
covered a larg-e wolf on the ojjposite side of the log' and he too had been too
weary to look for game or to molest the stranger. Both were surprised and
alarmed — the wolf ran away and for the time Mr. Pearson forgot he had a
gnn and let the animal go. Pearson weighed fully two hundred and fiftv
pounds and it has often ])een related of him that when he \iewed the beau-
tiful prairie and forest landscape all about him, that he climbed a big, high tree
and exclaimed in a very loud voice, ''I pre-empt all the land in sight."
Between 1850 and 1856 the settlement was greatly augmented in this
and manv parts of Jasper county. Among those who entered lands in this
township ma}' be recalled now the names of: d. T. Saum, in section 1, in
1851 ; James Fenwick. in section 21, in 1852; Leonard Lickens, in section 2j.
in 1852 or 1853; Levi Cook, in section 3, 1854; he erected a frame house
which for many years was known as the "steep-roofed house.''
It was about this time that the hrst postoffice east of Xewton. on the
Iowa City road, was established. This oifice was kept on section 35 of what
is now Kellogg township.
FIR.ST EX'EXTS.
It seems (|uite certain that the first child born in this township was Allie
Springer, son of William .M. and "Aunt Sally" Springer, he having been l)orn
in the winter of 1846-7.
The earliest marriage was that of Jesse Rickman (later a judge) and
Xancy Pearson. At the same time, and both ceremonies being performed at
the cabin of Thomas Pearson, were united for better or for worse. John
Wilson and Josie Pear.son. Ballinger Aydelott tying both marriage knots.
This was in Alarch. 1847. '^he wedding supper consisted of corn bread,
crabapple pie. crabapple .sauce, roast chicken (both prairie and tame), cab-
bage, slaw, roast pork and vegetables.
288 JASPER COIXTV. IOWA.
The First sermon preached in Buena N'ista townsliip was that delivered
by Joah Bennett, a Methodist minister, in March. 1846. Imvc i)ersons made
up his auchence. In tlie autumn of 1846 WilHam Ferguson formed a Chris-
tian church society at the house of pioneer Balhnger Aydelott. and tliis was
doubtless the first of this denomination in Jasper county.
WILD TURKEYS.
it has been related of pioneer Jacob Bennett's good wife that slie met
with the following fate by a wild turkey: In the spring of 1845 Bennett
planted a patch of corn in the edge of the brush ; in the fall he cut and shocked
it uj). The wild turkeys proposed to get a share of his labor, so they came
to pick corn. Mrs. Bennett proposed to be their equal, so she hid herself in
a shock. A large turkey gobbler climbed on the shock she was in. She
caught him bv the leg. held him fast and he lacerated her hand terribly with
his spurs. 1)in she took him in and cooked him.
VILLAGE OF ML^RPHY.
In 1890 there was a postoffice established at this point, the northeast
quarter of the northwest (juarter of section 17, township 79, range 18, but it
was discontinued January 15, 191 1. J. W. Murphy, an old pioneer, was
the only person who ever ser\'ed as postmaster. The business of 19 10 only
amounted to about forty dollars. Three mails were received each way daily
while the office was in existence. The people of the vicinity are now sup-
plied with mail by the rural free delivery from Newton route No. 7. There
is a small store located iiere, l)ut aside from its being a station point on the
railroad, there is no business transacted there.
\ILLAGE OF KILl.DUFF.
The only real \illage in this township is Killduti', located on section 35,
ten miles to the southeast of Newton, on the Iowa Central railroad. It had
in 1900 about eighty inhabitants, a postoffice, two good stores, a lumber yard
and a blacksmith shop. It had a population of one hundred and fifty. Its
business in 1910 consisted of the following: The live-stock dealer was
Henry W. Agcr; l)lacksmithing, ])y O. H. Caniahan ; liardware and hotel
were being conducted by William B. Coe ; barl>ering, William Harvey; gen-
eral dealer in merchandise and banking in a small way. I'rank W. Swearingen ;
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
289
restaurant, by W:lliani C. Korff, ^vho was the postmaster at the date ^iven
above. '^
There are two churches, the Methodist Episcopal and the Reformed • the
latter denommation have no regular pastor at this writing.
(19)
CHAPTER XX.
FATRVIEW TOWNSHIP.
This township Hes on the south hne of the county and west of Skunk
river, hence is of an irregular shape, -conforming as it does on its eastern
border to the nieanderings of that stream. It is bounded, or rather sur-
rounded by four townships and one county hne. It has two steam railroad
lines, both entering the only town in the territoiy, Monroe, situated on the
south line of the township and county. Marion county is just to the south
of Fairview township.
Being one of the original precincts of Jasper county, it was organized
Mav 14, 1846. The order which made it a civil township read as follows:
"Ordered that Fairview precinct be bounded on the northeast by Skunk
river, on the south by the county line, on the southwest by Des ^loines pre-
cinct, and on the west by said county line to the said Skunk river.''
This is numbered among the oldest and richest portions of Jasper county
and within its tx^rders are to be seen many ^•aluable and highly cultivated
farms, producing their annual harxest of valuable crops, which have en-
riched the owners.
Among the first entries of government land in Fairview township may
be mentioned IManly Gifford, on the northwest quarter of the southeast quar-
ter of section 36, January 16, 1848; Joel B. Worth, the west half of the
southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 34, also the northeast
quarter of the southwest quarter of the same section, on October 10, 1848.
In the extreme southeastern portion of the township is found a large
body of natural timber, as well as some in the southwestern part.
It was in this township that the original settlement of Jasper county
was effected and here the first Methodist services were held at the home of
pioneer Adam Tool early in 1844; ^ Sabbath school was organized the same
year at the cabin home of Joel Worth, three miles southeast of the first pio-
neer settlement in the county. The first store selling general merchandise in
the south part of the county was in Fairview township. It was the property
of Rol^ert Moore and brother, in 1848, they having purchased the claim taken
by Mr. Fish.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 29I
While the schools, churches and lodges will be mentioned at length in
general chapters on these subjects, it may be stated here that in March, 1855,
the amount of school fund apportionment for Fairview township was eight
dollars and twenty-nine cents.
At the presidential election in 1852, when Scott and Pierce were the can-
didates for the presidency, the result of the election in Fairview township
was twenty votes for each candidate; Gen. W'infield Scott, however, carried
this county.
In 1855 the temperance (piestion was voted on in Jasper countv with the
following results in Fairview township: Votes for prohibition, fiftv-three,
and against the measure, forty-nine.
In 1878 the total personal property of Fairview township amounted to
$82,680, including the items of 941 head of horses, 122 head of mules and
asses and 2,155 head of cattle.
The records show that in 1877 the total value of all property in this
township was $423,876 and the taxes paid into the treasury was $6,554.35.
The first business transacted in Fairview township, of which there seems
to be any record extant, was that of March 7, 1853, when William DeLong
and Xewton Wright met and divided the township into two road districts.
October 4, 1853, John E. Teeters had his stock mark recorded, which
was "a swallow fork in the point of each ear."
In April, 1854. Daniel Harcourt and Jacob Kipp were elected justices
of the peace; Ezra Woodv and Jesse Seay, constables; Theophilus Bethel,
assessor ; \\'illiam Highland, Ximrod Cope and William DeLong, trustees ;
]*klartin Rogers, clerk.
According to the state census reports for 1905, the population of Fair-
view township in that year was 1.258.
( For an account of the proposed state capitol in this township, at "Mon-
roe City," see index of general chapters.)
THE TOWN OF MONROE.
Monroe was laid out by pioneer Adam Tool, in the spring of 1851. the
first platting being under the name of Tool's Point. It was changed a year
or two later to Monroe.
The first house erected on the plat was by James A. Tool. The same
season buildings were erected by Mrs. Mary S. Fleenor, W'illiam DeLong,
Daniel Hiskey, Dr. J. E. Teter, Hugh Patterson. William Peg and J. Kipp.
The building erected bv Mr. Hiskey was used by him for store purposes.
2Q2 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Mr. Peg was the first "village blacksmith."" These structures were all of the
frame tvpe. Hosea Alatthews had constructed a saw mill on Alikesell creek,
iust north of Red Rock, and lumber could be obtained at low figures. Most
of the buildings had the old style, heavy frames mortised together and fast-
ened with hardwood pins. Only three were ventured on the "balloon"'
frame plan. The timbers were hewed out. studding and all. The siding
was black walnut, the floors of oak, and the doors and window casings were
of walnut. Long shingles were used, being split and dressed by hand.
Late in 185 1 a school house was built in the town.
The first child to see the light of day here was the daughter of Mr. and
Airs. Ilill. She was christened Anna and became the wife of Stephen Shel-
lady, Esq. The eldest child of the Hill family was born in Des Moines in
1846 at the old fort, and was the second child born in the fort, the date of its
birth being the 9th of January, 1846. Had the child been a son, it was the
intention of Mr. Hill to name him Andrew Jackson, as its father was a rock-
rooted Democrat.
The first lawyer to hang out his shingle in Monroe was S. N. Lindley,
who did not remain long, however, but moved to the new town of Xewton.
In the county seat ]\Ir. Lindley became a successful lawyer and judge of much
note.
Monroe grew steadily until 1857, when it had reached about four hun-
dred population and was the center of a good business territory. The Des
Moines Valley railroad entered the town in the month of November, 1865,
and on the 24th of that month the first freight was unloaded from a car.
During the Civil war days Monroe was a lively place and it sent forth
its full share of men, as will be seen by reference to the War chapter.
In 1876, the Newton & Monroe railway entered the place and this gave
new life and encouragement to the town. The first road charged very high
rates for freight and caused the dealers at Monroe to lose heavily, especially
about 1 87 1 -2. but when connection was made at Newton with the great Rock
Island system, Chicago and all eastern rates were materially reduced. Many
of the Monroe dealers exchanged goods for time checks of laborers who djd
the railway construction work for the Iowa, ^Minnesota & Northern Rail-
road Company. l)ut were great losers in the end. as such paper proved almost
worthless.
INCORPORATION ITI.STORV.
Monroe became an incorporated town in December, 1867, but the final
legal papers were not properly completed until the autumn of 1868. The
records do not show the result of the first town election, but it is ijuite certain
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 293
that the first council met December 31. 1868, and was made up of the fol-
lowing gentlemen: W. L. LeFever, mayor; M. K. Campbell, recorder; L.
M. Shaw, Seth Dixon, J. B. Bennington, John Morrison. A. S. Elwood,
trustees: William Johnson, treasurer: John I. Nichols, marshal.
The first ordinance was one to restrain persons from hitching teams to
the fence around the public square.
Up to 1878 the sentiment of the people of Monroe was largelv in favor
of allowing liquors to be sold under a licensing system, at least for the sale
and use of ale. wine and beer, but at that date a new council was elected
with tliis in view and wiped the saloon from the town.
The following have served as mayors of Monroe : W. L. LeFever.
elected in 1868; J. Kipp, 1870: H. Green. 1872; J. C. McDill. 1873; J. B.
Bennington. 1874: L. M. Shaw, 1875; ^lelvin Nichols, 1876; G. \V. Hertzog,
1877: W. T. Stotts, 1879: Aaron Custer, 1880-81 : \V. G. Romans, 1882: D.
Hiskey, 1883: J. Cunningham, 1884; Z. Mosher, 1885; Z. ]\Iosher, 1886; G.
\\\ Hertzog, 1887-8: J. W. Honald. 1889; W. L. LeFever, 1890; Hugh Mor-
rison, 1891-93: S. S. Seger, 1894-6: Crane. 1896-7; Hugh Morrison,
1898: S. S. Seger, 1899: J. B. Gray, 1900-01 ; J. Koder, 1901-02: D. J. Lev-
eridge, 1902-3: G. ^L Cowles, 1904-05; J. Kbder, 1905-6-7; A. Palmer,
1908-9: \\'. T. W'olcott, 1910-11
The present town officers are W. T. Wolcott, mayor: D. C. Phillips,
clerk ; Jonas Barr. marshal : councilmen. C. C. Worth. George H. Orcutt.
George Ammer. O. G. Shaw, George Neft.
A gasoline gas plant provides sufficient light for the town. It was in-
stalled in 1902-3 at a cost of six thousand dollars, secured by floating bonds.
The town has a good brick city hall and jail, but needs water works.
In 1905 the population of Monroe was eight hundred and thirty-six, ac-
cording to the state census reports.
The banking interests are mentioned in the chapter on banking.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
In the spring of 19 10 the business and professional interests of this old
and interesting town were as follows :
General Dealers — James H. Cochrane, Frank J. Coffee, Custer Brothers
& Wright, Louis H. Yost.
Groceries — J. A. Murray.
Meat.s — Irwin Heffelfinger.
294 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Live Stock — R. B. Hendershot. Mark Batenian, Charles Cramer, W. 1.
Shaw . W'ilHani Whitted. all breeders but the first named.
Drugs — \V. \\'. Townsend.
Lawyers — J. Kipp & Son, Jacob Koder.
Hardware and Plumbing — Ammer & Worth.
Blacksmith — George F. Anderson.
Physicians — Dr. Charles J. Alpin. Leonard \V. Cochrane (dentist),
Robert K. Gladson (dentist). In 191 1, D. H. Wheelwright, F. L. Smith.
Li\ery — George Corroy, Thomas W. Hancock
Merchant Tailor — Edwin A. Coburn.
. ?^Iillinery — Estella Broomfield, Mrs. Cora Ferguson.
Cigar Maker — Harry Demming.
Shoes — O. H. and L W. Fisher.
Hotel — Roberts House.
Lumber — Citizens" Lumber Company.
Furniture — J. & S. Scharf, Chicago Furniture Company (1911).
Exclusive Live Stock — Monroe Live Stock Company.
Newspaper — The Monroe Mirror.
Telephone Company — The Monroe Telephone Company, who built a
fine cement block exchange building in 1910.
Cement ^^'ork — L. T. Munson.
Real Estate— W. T. Stotts.
Buggies and \\'agons — Hetherington & Son.
THE CITY OF THE DE.\D.
The people of this community have ever taken much care and have a
just pride in their cemetery. The ^Monroe cemetery was established as a
private enterprise on the part of Daniel Hiskey, Esq., who. in 1871, pur-
chased twenty-two acres of land, at a cost of two thousand seven hundred
and fifty dollars, within a half mile of the public square. This was soon
fitted up and properly improved for a resting place for the departed dead of
the community. In 1878 the property was sold to F. M. Slusser, Esq. He
continued proprietor until his death, when his heirs, a son and daughter,
took the work up and have carried the same on ever since, although they reside
away from Monroe. Through pioneer hardware man, L. I\L Shaw, they
have had this burying place well cared for and improved. Aside from this
the citizens, especially the Ladies Association of Monroe, have accomplished
much to beautify the sacred enclosure and through their work have sue-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 295
ceeded in laying a fme cement walk from the city out the entire way to the
cemetery, a half mile, and they have also cared for all graves and grave lots
where relatives do not reside in Monroe. Xo obnoxious weeds and tall, un-
sightly grasses are permitted to grow on the grounds. The walk alone cost them
eight hundred dollars. With the return of each springtime, these grounds are
looked after and Memorial day is an interesting event in Monroe district, for
all gather and remember the graves of departed friends. Many fine shade
trees beautify the place. lx)th native and evergreens. There are many costly
monuments, including the John D. Long shaft, forty feet high, of white mar-
ble, surmounted by an angel figure of rare design. This monument was
raised by a Philadelphia firm who had to send a special freight wagon to
draw the material from the railroad to the cemetery, so huge were the parts,
including the great granite base. This monument, which cost ten thousand
dollars, was erected to the memory of the great cattle raiser and '"cattle king"'
of Jasper county, who at one time just before his death had eight hundred
acres of Jasper county land and a mansion on one tract of it. Strange to
relate, and seemingly without cause. Mr. Long took his own life by hanging,
alx)ut ten days prior to a great im[K)rted stock sale he was to have on his
farm. He left a daughter by his first marriage and his second wife, who was
buried beside him in the spring of 191 1.
When the construction of mausoleums l>ecame so popular a few years
since in Iowa a company, at an expense of twenty-two thousand dollars,
erected one on the Monroe cemetery grounds, on land purchased of the pro-
prietors. This was completed in 1909 and has two hundred and fifty crypts,
of which about forty are now disposed of. The prices at first were one hun-
dred dollars, but after Mr. Maytag, of Xewton. came into possession of the
place it was raised to one hundred and twenty-five dollars per crypt. It is a
massi\e piece of masonry, lined with pure white, polished marble. It con-
tains four tiers of crypts, one above another, for both children and adults.
This is a prixate institution and has mtthing to do with the cemetery proper.
POSTOFFICE IILSTORV.
There has been no record kept of this ofiice, except intermittently, so it
will be impossible to go much into details. It was one of the early offices in
Jasper count)- and the following gentlemen have served, with possibly one or
two more, but this seems to be about a correct list : Mrs. Adam Tool, first in
charge; Thomas Petete, 1854, John Hickey, W. L. Lefevre, Aaron Adams,
L W. Allum, O. B. Kipp, H. G. Nelson, John Vandernast. W. T. Stotts. H.
296 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
A. Perrin. who receixed his appointment in 1897, and still holds the office ac-
ceptably to the patrons of the office H. J. Perrin is assistant postmaster.
Monroe postoffice was robbed May 14, 1902, when twenty-three dollars
in stamps and small change were taken from the money drawer.
VILLAGE OF FAIRMOUNT.
This is a station point on the old Des Moines Valley (now the Rock
Island branch) railroad, situated in Fairview township, midway between
Monroe and Prairie City. It is beautifully situated by nature, being on a
level plateau of prairie land separating the Des Moines from the Skunk rivers,
the timber from both streams being plainly in sight. In 1878 the place had
grown to possess a Methodist Episcopal church edifice, costing" almost two
thousand dollars.
At the date last mentioned Fairmount did considerable business in the
shipping of farm products, including many potatoes. The present business
of the place is confined to a few business houses, a church and the usual
small shops such as are demanded by the farming community. The county
directory of 1910-11 gave the population of Fairmount as fifty. The general
dealer was xA.rch Livingston, who was postmaster; grain dealer, J. M. Porter
& Sons.
A Methodist Episcopal church is sustained here, the same being cared
for by the pastor from Prairie City. The postoffice at Fairmount was estab-
lished in 1876. It is a fourth-class office, and has had but two postmasters,
George Volk and A. Livingston. It is a small office, having transacted only
one hundred dollars' worth of postal business during the last year. Two
mails are received and one sent each way daily.
FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP AND THE CIV^IL WAR.
Fortunate, indeed, are the publisliers to obtain a true certified copy of
the list of soldiers who went from this township to the Civil war. The list
is certified to by R. C. Anderson and Roljert Elwood, sworn to before Notary
Public Simeon B. Tefft. January 11, 1865. The company and regiment in
which these men served will generally be found in the War chapter of this
work, hence will not be repeated in this connection, but their age will be here
published, showing, as it does, that l'\airview sent forth from her midst youth
and age. the best blood and flower of the community. Other townships may
have e(|ualed this, but no record is found :
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
297
Armstrong, Richard, aged forty.
Adams, Aaron, aged thirty-five.
Armstrong, Samuel, aged eighteen.
Brady, George, aged eighteen.
Bain, Robert, aged twenty.
Bain, James, aged eighteen.
Bargenholts, James, aged twenty.
Box. Joseph, aged twenty-eight.
Baker, Henry, aged twenty-three.
Beath. Thomas, aged twenty- four.
Buckhaher, Cason. aged forty-four.
Bargenhalts. Peter, aged eighteen.
Carr. Raymond, aged eighteen.
Campbell, M. K., aged twenty.
Cowles, H. A., aged eighteen.
Caple. S., aged eighteen.
Dowler. Henry, aged eighteen.
Deye. William, aged twenty-seven.
Dibble, Milo. aged twenty-five.
Eyerley. William R., aged twenty-
four.
Estella, William, aged nineteen.
Ell wood, A. G., aged thirty-seven.
Eyerly, J. B.. aged twenty-six.
Fudge, John C., aged twenty-one.
Fudge. James W., aged twenty-
three.
French. Angus, aged thirty-five.
Grubb, Sylvester, aged eighteen.
Grubb. W^illiam. aged eighteen.
Gray, Perry, aged forty.
Gray, John, aged twenty-one.
Gray. Samuel, aged nineteen.
Gray. James, aged eighteen.
Harcourt. Charles, aged twenty-
three.
Heron. David, aged twenty-one.
Hughes. Sylvester, aged nineteen.
Hawkins. David, aged fortv.
Hitchins, Joseph, aged thirty.
Howard, A., aged eighteen.
Hammond, J. Q.. aged twenty.
Hunter, Jacob, aged forty.
Hill. John, aged twenty-one.
Hill. Frank, aged twenty-five.
Hill. James, aged nineteen.
Hawling, Edward, aged thirty.
Hawkins, William A., aged eighteen.
Jordan. Isaac, aged eighteen.
Jones. T. K., aged eighteen.
Jones. G. G.. aged twenty-five.
Jordan, John, aged forty-three.
Kerr. Thomas, aged twenty-one.
Kerr, Wesley, aged eighteen.
Kerr. George, aged eighteen.
Knapp. William, aged twenty-two.
Knapp, C. D., aged thirty.
Kaiser, Christopher, aged eighteen.
Kindle. Joseph, aged thirty.
Loudenback. R., aged fifty.
Lapella. John P.. aged eighteen.
Loudenback. I. X.. aged twenty-two.
Lone. J. P., aged twenty-fi\e.
Loudenback, David, aged nineteen.
Loudenback, Joseph, aged twenty-
one.
Leeter. D. W.. aged twenty-two.
Mudgett. P., aged nineteen.
Mudgett, Woodbury, aged nineteen.
Mateer, John, aged thirty-five.
Mateer. Alex., aged twenty-five.
?^forgan. Joseph, aged twenty-six.
Murphy. H. ]\L. aged twenty-eight.
-Murphy, William, aged twenty-one.
Montgomery, James, aged eighteen.
Moore. W. W., aged twenty-eight.
Mathews. Peter, aged twenty.
Mortimore. Ephraim. aged eighteen.
298
TASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Mathews, Alfrey, aged eighteen.
Mathias. Henry, aged thirty-four.
McKee. Robert, aged nineteen.
McBride, John, aged eighteen.
:McDonald, Charles, aged twenty-
one.
McWilliams. Henry, aged twenty.
McDonald, Allen, aged thirty.
McReynolds, Ew-ing. aged twenty-
two.
McReynolds, David, aged twenty-
six.
McCarthy, J. W.. aged twenty-one.
Xitnnio, David, aged twenty-three.
Nelson, H. G., aged forty.
Painter. James, aged twenty-two.
Porter, Andrew J., aged twenty-one.
Porter, Robert, aged eighteen.
Porter. A\'illiam, aged twenty.
Priddy, D. M., aged forty-two.
Parker, Joshua, aged thirty-one.
Patterson, James, aged eighteen.
Pattison, Alex., aged fifty-five.
Romans, A. D., aged twenty-two.
Rice, Frank, aged twenty-five.
Richardson, Norris. aged twenty-
five.
Rogers, Edward, aged eighteen.
Rutter, James G., aged thirty-one.
Rutter. John, aged twenty-one.
Rutter, David, aged eighteen.
Robison, Jasper, aged eighteen.
Robison, George, aged twenty.
Sumney, Anthony, aged thirty-three.
Sumney, Ransom, aged twenty-one.
Staler, William, aged nineteen.
Schooley, William E., aged eigh-
teen.
Schooley, James, aged forty.
Stem, Jacob, aged twenty- four.
Scott, David, aged twenty-two.
Scott, David, aged twenty-three.
Scott, James, aged twenty-one.
Story, John H., aged forty-two.
Story. James, aged eighteen.
Shellady, Stephen, aged eighteen.
Shelledy. S. B., aged sixty.
Shelledy, John E., aged twenty -five.
Stevens, James, aged eighteen.
Sterrett, Robert, aged forty-four.
Starrett. Finley. aged eighteen.
Thorne, George, aged twenty.
Taylor, James, aged twenty-six.
Tefft, Seneca, aged eighteen.
Taylor. James C, aged twenty- four.
Taylor, Columbus, aged twenty-two.
Taylor, John, aged thirty-five.
\^olk, ^Michael, aged twenty-two.
Vaughan. H. C, aged twenty-two.
Wood, Eli F.. aged twenty-five.
Whitted. Aaron, aged eighteen.
Wilson. James, aged nineteen.
\\'inkler, Theodore, aged eighteen.
Whitman. Adam, aged eighteen.
\\'estfall, Leander, aged twenty-two.
VETERANS WHO RE-ENLISTKD.
These are the soldiers from Fairview township who veteranized : Robert
W. McKee, H. C. Vaughan. Ransom Sumney. Robert Bain, Thomas Kerr,
William Eyerley, Sylvester Flughes, I. N. Loudenback, Leander W^estfall,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 299
E. McReynolds, J. O. Hamniond. John Hill, James G. Rutter, William
Murphy, John Schooley, William Mills, William Estee. Alex. Livingston,
S. V. Shelledy, O. W. Buckhalter, Jeff Long, John Scheck, John Hiskey, H.
Stem, Samuel McRevnolds.
CHAPTER XXI.
MOrXn PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
This sub-division of Jasper county is in the southwestern part of the
county, comprises about twenty-seven sections of land, for the most part sit-
uated in township 79. ranges 20 and 21 west. It is bounded on the north-
east by the South fork of the Skunk river, that stream being the Hne be-
tween it and Sherman township. It is of quite irregular form, owing to
the meanderings of the river. A ix)rtion of Prairie City is within this town-
ship, while the remainder is situated in Des Moines township. The north
line of the township is traversed by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail-
road, which enters W^ashington township at Colfax, just to the west line of
Mound Prairie township.
A half dozen or more small tributaries of the Skunk river flow from
the southwest to the northeast through this township. But little native
timber ever grew within this township, but the farming land on the prairies
is of an excellent character and has come to be verv- valuable. The only
village within the township, aside from a portion of Prairie City, is Metz. a
small station point on the Rock Island railroad.
Mound Prairie was organized in February. 1857, under the old county
judge .system. The order of the court creating this township organization
reads as follows : "That there be a township organized by the name of
Mound Prairie, bounded as follows: Commencing at the northwest corner
of section 3. township 79. range 20. thence west on the township line to the
northwest corner of township 79. range 21 ; thence west on the countv line
to the southwest corner of said township and range; thence east on the
township line to the southeast corner of section ^^. township 79. range 20;
thence north on the section line to the quarter section stake on the east side
of .section ii. same town.ship and range: thence west one mile: thence north
to place of beginning.''
It will be seen that this took in much more tcrritorv than the present
township does. Washington township was not yet cut ofT and made into a
township organization.
Among the original land entries in this township, as first organized,
were the following: Elbert Evans, on the southwest of section 2. range 20.
JASPER COUNT V, IOWA. 3OI
October 28, 1848; John Rodgers, in the southwest quarter of northeast range
20, of section 2, October 21, 1848.
The state census returns for 1905 gave this township a population of
1.393-
In 1878 the township paid a personal tax on $45,867, including the
items of 544 horses; 39 mules; 1,067 head of cattle over six months of age.
In 1877 the total real estate and personal tax of this township was re-
corded as $276,776, on which a tax was turned into the county treasurer
amounting to $4,575.26. See table of present township valuations, m the
chapter on County Government.
The people of Mound Prairie ha^■e ever been on the alert for the in-
troduction of the best public school methods and have had standard Jasper
county public schools from the earliest date of its history. Much concerning
schools, churches, lodges, etc., in this township will be incorporated in the
general chapters of this volume, under their proper and respective headings.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The first settler in this township was Joseph Slaughter, of section 5,
and he came in 1845 ^"^ built a log cabin, went back east and returned with
his family in the spring of 1846.
Samuel K. Parker settled in 1847. He had a saw mill operated by
Robert Warner.
In 1853 John Sumpter settled on section 7. He became the first justice
of the peace of this township. Then there were a few settlers on the east
side of the river before 1855, in what is now known as the Metz corner, and
among these were the Millers, L. D. Samms, who came in 1849; James,
John and G. W. Miller, of 1853. with possibly others who settled for a short
time and moved on west.
At that date the facilities for home and comfort were not excellent,
only for the stout-hearted, brave and self-denying spirits. The nearest post-
office was at Tool's Point: a grist mill at Red Rock; a corn-cracker on the
Indian creek, near present Colfax; all merchandise had to be hauled on
wagons from the Mississippi river ; salt was seven dollars a barrel : cut nails
fifteen cents per pound and other articles in proportion.
Coal was first discovered in this county in 1846 by a young man on
the Slaughter place.
Reaping with a reaper was first accomplished in this township in 1857
with an old Rugg reaper.
302 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
Following the settlers already mentioned, may also be recalled the
following: E. R. Peck; on section 19 was Riley Scoyac, who remained until
1857; Daniel Shepherd; and possibly a few more in the early fifties.
The first school was taught as a private school by Mrs. Charles Kendall
in the kitchen of her small house in 1856. This stood on the southwest
quarter of section 8. The first school house in this township was erected on
the southwest corner of the east half of the southwest quarter of section 7
and among the first teachers there was Samuel Gooden.
The fencing all had to Ije of rails split from the nearby forests, and if
for no other reason the timber sections of the country were always occupied
first, this being many years prior to barb wire inventions. Then the timber
afforded better protection against the severe winter blasts. The winter
season was usually put in by these pioneers at rail splitting and getting out
logs, some of which went twenty miles to be sawed into floor stuff for cabin
homes. The diet was usually corn bread, corn cakes and honey and plenty
of prairie chicken breasts.
In 1843 a mounted company of dragoons passed through this township
from Iowa City to Raccoon Forks or Fort Des Moines. They crossed the
Skunk at Samuel K. Parker's place.
In 1849 set in the heavy California emigration to the faraway gold
fields.
In 1856-7 the Momions passed through on their way to Salt Lake, in
colonies of from five hundred to one thousand daily, with their hand-carts
loaded with all their earthly possessions. Each company had a few wagons
and good tents for the leaders and the sick ones. The hand-carts were
rough and unsafe for such a long trip.
The same road was lined from sunrise to dark in 1859 with Pike's
Peak trains, and then the Skunk bottoms were next to impassable. The
suffering of both man and beast will never be known.
The first railroad in this township made its advent in 1867. the Rock
Island system.
In 1894 Seth W. Macy sunk the first hole for coal so far out on the
prairies and struck five feet of good coal. Hanson & Nay lor later opened
a large bank near this point in the township. Now one of the most valuable
coal mines in Iowa is situated on the R. N. Stewart farm on section 17.
The winter of 1855-6 was long to be remembered, being one of the
severest on record. Snow stood thirty inches deep on a level in the timber
and much suffering was experienced all over Iowa.
JASPER COrXTV. IOWA. 3O3
THE VILLAGE OF METZ
Metz is the small railroad station situated midway between Xewton on
the east and Colfax on the west. In 1877 it is said to have contained but a
half dozen buildings, all told. It was put in here by the railroad company
as an accommodation to the farming community, where stock and other
farm products might be shipped and where lumber and fuel might be pur-
chased from the local dealers. It is situated on section 11, and was platted
in 1883. by William Hitchler. It now contains about eighty population. Its
present business consists of a general store by Jesse H. Clement, who is also
the postmaster : the grain business is carried on by D. J. Eberhart. Recently a
Baptist church has been organized and a house of worship erected, at least is
now in course of erection : it is a frame building in the northern part of town.
VILLAGE OF SEVERS.
This is a coal mining town and has never grown to great proportions.
It is at the terminus of a coal spur extending out from Colfax. A postoffice
was established there many years ago.
CHAPTER XXII.
ROCK CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Rock Creek township is on the eastern border of Jasper county and
the second from the north hne of the county. It comprises all of congres-
sional township Xo. 80, range 17 west, except section 31, in the southwest
corner which belongs in Kellogg" township. Hickory Grove township lies to
the north; Poweshiek county to the east; Richland township at the south
and Kellogg township on its west. In the central and eastern portions is a
fine body of native timber. Rock creek, a beautiful stream, with its branches
affords ample drainage for this township, which for the greater part is made
up of excellent prairie farming" lands, now of high value on account of the
price of land and its exceptional fine productive qualities. The Rock Island
railroad runs through its domain from east to west, bearing to the south-
east in its course.
According to the state census reports in 1905, the population of Rock
Creek township was seven hundred and twenty- four. It takes its name evi-
dently from the stream of the same name, a tributary of the Skunk river.
Among the first original entries of government land within this town-
ship may be mentioned Theodore Whitney, in the northwest of section 9,
on October 27, 1848; Charles G. Adams, in the north half of the northeast
quarter of section 27, and the south half of the southeast of section 22, on
the same date.
This township was set off from Lynn Grove township September 4,
1854. The first election was held at the house of James Elliott. This sub-
division of Jasper county was described as being congressional township
X^os. 80 and 81, range 17 west. Later Hickory Grove was formed from its
northern half.
Among the fatal accidents in this township is recalled by those living-
there in 1874, that of Washington Young, who was struck by lightning on
September 19th of that year and instantly killed, while standing in front of
his blacksmith shop. A man and boy standing" near him were badly shocked,
but not materially injured. During the same thunder storm, a barn be-
longing to J. H. Russell, living five miles southwest of X^wton, was set on
fire by lightning and totally destroyed.
r
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
305
Rock Creek is purely an agricultural district and has hundreds of most
excellent, well improved farms, upon which reside a happy, contented and
prosperous people.
To show the general sentiment of the township, in April. 1855, when
the prohibition of the sale of lifpior came up through a vote in Jasper county,
it may be stated that the vote stood eight for the law and twelve against.
In 1878 the total assessed ^•alue of all personal property in the town-
ship was $38,805. including that levied on 477 head of horses; 17 head of
mules and 989 head of taxable cattle.
In 1877 t^i^ total \aluation of both personal and real estate was
$275,590. on which the sum of $5,280 was paid into the county treasury.
The reader is referred to the table in the County Government chapter on
total valuations of the various townships in Jasper county as in comparison
to the figures of this year.
The schools and churches are mentioned at length in chapters especially
on these topics for the whole county.
THE VILLAGE OF TURNER.
Turner is a little hamlet on the Rock Island railroad on the line of sec-
tions 23 and 28 of Rock Creek township, fourteen miles east of Newton. It
affords a good trading point, in a small way, for the adjacent community of
farmers. The recent dealers there are : General merchandise. Lena Diehl ;
creamery. E. B. Elliott; postmaster, O. J. Turner; live stock, coal and lum-
ber, O. J. Turner.
(20)
CHAPTER XXIII.
ELK CREEK TOWNSHIP.
I'^lk Creek township is situated on the south hue of Jasper county and
comprises almost forty sections of land, all in township 78, range 18 west,
except about three sections which lie in range 19, of the same congressional
township.
It is bounded on the north by Buena Vista and Palo Alto townships ;
on the east by Lynn Grove township; on the south by Mahaska county and
Fairview townshi[). Jasper county; on the west by Palo Alto and Fairview
townships.
This civil township was organized May, 1846, as one of the original
townships or precincts of the county of Jasper. For a description of its
original boundaries the reader is referred to the chapter on County Or-
ganization, elsewhere in this work.
The pioneer settlers who came in to this fair and fertile portion of
Jasper count}- were men and women of sterling worth and possessed the
true Western settler traits of character and indeed they "builded better than
they knew."
Among the first to enter government land in this section of the county
were: John J. Mudgett, the west fractional part of the southwest quarter of
section 29, on December 16, J 856, and the same person on parts of section
30. September 4, 1847; James A. Tool, on the east half of the northwest
(piarter of section 34, September 4. 1847; the same in the southwest of sec-
tion 27, on the same date. The lands were purchased from the general
government at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre and are now certain
of being worth from sixty to one hundred and fifty dollars ])er acre. This
shows the reader the base of much of Jasjjcr countN's wealth.
The first sermon ever preached within Elk Creek township was by Rev.
-Mr. Hitchcock, a Congregational missionary, at the house of M. D. Springer,
in the early spring of 1846. Twenty or more persons were his attentive aud-
ience. Xo attempt was made to form a church there then.
The schools and churches of this townshij) appear in iheir resi)ective
places in chapters on these subjects. It may be said, however, in passing.
JASI'KR tOlNTV. IOWA. 3O7
that in March, 1851. the record shows that the school fund a])p(jrtionnient
for Elk Creek township aiiiounted to the sniii of tweKe dollars and twenty-
seven cents.
At the general election in iS3_>, when (leneral Scott and hVankiin
Pierce were running for President of the L'nited States, the vote in Elk
Creek township stood, ten for Scott and three for Pierce.
In 1855 the question of prohihition of intoxicating liquors in Jasper
county resulted at an election in which tlie \ote in Elk Creek township was
thirteen for the law and thirty against prohihition. It carried, however, in
the county hy thirty-five votes.
In 1878 the total amount of personal property assessed in Elk Creek
township was $83,267. This included the items of 786 horses, 66 mules
and asses, and 1,670 cattle.
As to the valuation and taxes on property of all kinds in this town.ship
in 1877. the books show that it amounted to $356,410, and that the taxes
turned into the treasury were $5,073. I^he state census returns in 1905 fixed
the population as being 909.
VILLAGE OF GALESBURG.
The village, or hamlet of Galesburg, on section 16 of this township, is
five miles east of Reasoner. It was recorded of it in 1878 that it contained a
good store which drew trade from a large farming section. It once had a
postoffice, but after the establishment of rural delivery of mail in the county
it was discontinued. A general store is conducted there by A. A. AUoway;
also one l)y William C. DeBruyns and A. Graffs. The village blacksmith is
C. Breen. At an early day there was hopes of this becoming a much larger
place than it has attained to.
CHAPTER XXIV.
MARIPOSA TOWNSHIP.
Mariposa township is the second from the east and lies on the north hne
of the county, comprising congressional township No. 8i, range 17 west. It
is almost entirely a prairie township, having a few small streams. Its soil
is fertile and its farms are among the most valuable and productive of any in
the county. To its north is Marshall county; to its east is Hickory Grove
township; to its south is Kellogg township and on its west is Malaka town-
ship. Its population in 1905 w^as placed in the state enumeration reports as
being six hundred and twelve.
Mariposa was organized in the month of February, 1857, by the county
judge then in office. The record says, "Ordered that there be a new township
formed by the name of Mariposa, bounded as follows : Commencing at the
northeast corner of township 81, range 18; thence west to the northwest
corner of said township; thence south to the range line to the southwest
corner of section 19, in township 80, range 18; thence on the section line to
the southeast comer of section 24 in said township and range; thence north
on the range line to place of beginning."'
Among the first to enter government land in this township were : Ben-
jamin Springer, in the fractional half of the northwest quarter of section 7,
on May 15, 1854; Almond Bird, in the sowtheast of section 33, July i, 1854.
The settlement prospered and the lands l>ecame e(]ually valuable to that of
<jlder and timbered portions of the county. In 1878 the records show that
this township had a personal tax valuation amounting to $40,322, on which
they paid into the treasury the sum of v$700. In 1877 the total value of all
taxable propcrt\-, personal and real, was $218,239, which caused the taxpayers
to deposit in the county funds the sum of $3,365.13.
This township has always kept al)reast with the average township in
jasper county in the matter of roads, l)ridges and schools, the people being
full}' up-to-date and possessed of the true American spirit of "go-ahead.''
With the advent of the rural mail delivery and the telephone system in the
county, Maripo.sa has l>een gready benefited by these necessities, as viewed
from a modern farmer's standpoint.
The schools, churches, etc., connected witli this townshij) are treated in
general cliapters on tliese to])ics, hence need not here be repeated.
CHAPTER XXV.
MALAKA TOWNSHIP.
This is the largest township within Jasper county. It is situated cen-
trally east and west and is on the northern hne of the county, bordering on
Marshall county, with Mariposa and Kellogg townships at its east; Xewton
township on the south and Sherman and Independence on the west. It has
forty-eight sections of land, and comprises township 8i and two tiers of sec-
tion of township 80, range 19 west.
This township was organized in February, 1S57. by the then county
judge. The record of its formation is as follows: "Commencing *m the
northeast corner of township 81, range 19; thence west on the countv line
to the northwest corner of section 2, in township 81. range 20; thence south
on the section line to the southeast corner of section 12. township 80, range
19; thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.''
According to the census reports of 1905 taken by the state authorities,
this township had a population at that date of six hundred and twenty-four.
Robert H. Snyder entered government land in the northwest (piarter
of the northwest (juarter of section 23, township 81, range 19, on November
16, 1852; Greenberry Bridges, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter
of section 27, on the same date.
This is one of Jasper county's almost exclusive prairie townships and is
now well developed into valuable, high-priced farms with a happy, prosperous
and contented populace. However, it is without railroad or near-by town
market places, depending upon the city of Newton largely for such
accommodations.
This township became the seat of the famous \\'ittemberg Manual La-
bor College, mentioned at length in the Educational chapter.
The taxes paid on the personal property in this township in 1878
amounted to $90,680, inclusive of the items of 849 head of horses; 51 head of
mules and asses and 2,333 ^^^^<^1 '^^ cattle over six months of age. The year
prior to that (1877) the total tax of the township, personal and realty,
amounted to $5,760, while the total valuation was placed at $370,400.
Several other items connected with the history of this township will be
found under their proper headings in the general chapters, including the
churches, schools, etc.
cii.\rT]-:k x.w 1.
UES MOINES TOWN SHIP.
Des Moines is the extreme southwestern township of Jasper county. It
is composed of township 78, range 21 west, and a part of range 22 of the same
township. It is eight miles from east to west and six from north to south.
The "correction hue"" runs on the north line of this township, hence there oc-
curs a set-off, or jog, the townships to the north being set over to the west one
mile on account of this correction line. The southern portion of this sub-
division of Jasper county is quite well supplied with native timber, of excellent
varieties. Numerous little streams course through the domain, making it
one of rare beauty and fertility. To its east lies Fairview township; to its
south is Marion county ; to its west is Polk county ; and on its north are
Washington and Mound Prairie townships, Jasper county.
In 1905 its population was one thousand and eighty. For an account of
its schools and churches, the reader is referred to the general chapters on these
topics.
Of the organization of this township it should be stated that it was among
the original townships set off in jasper county and has a history dating back
to May, 1846, when the county was organized into precincts. It was described
by the record as comprising "a precinct laid oft' in the southwest corner of the
county, to be called Des Moines, said precinct to contain all the territory west
of the Indian boundary line, and all south of the territorial road leading from
Oskaloosa to Fort Des Moines, within said Jasper county."
.Among the first to enter go\ernment land in this township were ; Na-
than l^jrown, in the east half of the southwest quarter of section 26, on Sep-
tember 26, 1848; (ieorge Anderson, on the west half of the northwest quar-
ter of section 30, on the same date.
The sch(Kjl fund apportionment for 1 (S5 i was thirteen dollars and twenty-
seven cents for Des Moines township.
In 1852, at the presidential election, this townshi]) cast sexenteen votes
for Cien. Winfield Scott and fifteen for ['"ranklin Pierce for President of the
United States.
In .\ijril. 1855, at an election o\er the \ exed (|uestion of selling or not
.selling intoxicating li(|uors in Jasper county, the vote stood in this township,
twenty for and thirty against tlie measure of ])roliihition.
I JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 3II
The records show that in iHjcS the personal property in Des Moines
township amounted to $85,609. inchuhnj,^ such articles as 865 horses, 133
mules and asses, and i,<j^^ head of cattle.
In 1877 the books show that this townshi[) had a total of $408,647 in all
kinds of property, and on this paid taxes into the treasury to the amount of
$6,268.13.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
In this township are the towns of Prairie City and Vandalia. The
former is situated on the northern border line and is a station point on the
first railroad in Jasper county, the old Des Moines Valley line, now owned
and operated by the great Rock Island systeuL It was written (^f this enter-
prising town as early as 1877 that it was one of the best of its size in all Iowa
and that Iowa towns ^vere the best of any between the two great oceans. It
was at hrst named Elliott, but changed in 1856 to Prairie City. The first
settlement was effected here in the autumn of 1851 l)y William Means, soon
followed bv James H. Elliott in 1852, and he in turn succeeded by Anderson
Boyd in 1853. The first building was erected by the owner of the plant and
it was used as a blacksmith shop. William Robertson built the first dwelling
and the pioneer store was a small building removed from Monroe on a wagon
by Benjamin Adams, this being done before the town had been surveyed.
George W. Bailey opened the next store. A school house was built in the
summer of 1856. but the first school taught in this township was by Isaac
Hershman in a small building owned by James H. Elliott, this being in 1855.
It stood until 1877, when it was torn down from its original site, which was
lot No. 6, block No. 10, of Prairie City.
The first preaching here was by a Methodist preacher in the fall of 1853.
The first deaths were children of Anderson Boyd, who died of scarlet
fever in the fall of 1854.
Prairie City grew rajjidly from 1865 on for several years. The Des
Moines Valley Railroad reached this point in 1866 and then came a genuine
healthv boom. By 1878 its population had reached about nine hundred,
which is probably in excess of its present population by a hundred or more.
In 1878 it reported to a local historian that it possessed two good banks, a
large flouring mill, two grain elevators, and the usual number of shops and
stores.
Its location, geographically and topographically, make it one desirable
to live in. as it stands on almo.st level table-lands separating the Des ^loines
from the Skunk rivers.
312
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
To gi\e the reader a faint glimpse of what this town was in pubhc en-
terprise ami spirit in i860, it may he well to descril>e the Fourth of July cele-
bration of that year. It was celebrated in splendid style, by a procession form-
ing on the public square at ten o'clock in the morning, officered by Isaiah
Coombs. George Fugard, James F. Parker, Fletcher :\linshall, J. H. Elliott
and R. H. McConnell, headed by the Newton Brass Band. A. F. McConnell
read the Declaration of Independence and addresses were made by H. S.
W'inslow. Judge Phillips, of Des Moines, Thomas S. Osborn. of Chicago, and
Rev. Caleb Bundy. Six hundred people sat at dinner around a table heavily
loaded with all that was palatable, the length of the improvised table being
four hundred feet.
A later Independence Day celebration was of not so pleasing a character.
It was that of 18^)9, when several young men were saluting by the firing of
an anvil when some one mentioned the fact that the town afforded another
an\il. which was brought forward, l)urst with the first shot or discharge.
It proved to be a cast iron one, hence not safe. The bursting of this anvil
instantly killed a Mr. Anderson, of Prairie City, a man sixty years old ; also
Mr. Rockbold, of Vandalia, besides severely wounding several others in the
crowd of by-standers.
Prairie City was incorporated and its first council met October 14, 1868,
when Sidney Williams was mayor. In March, 1869, the work of sidewalk
building engaged the attention of the people and the council. In July, the
same year, a town jail or calaboose was erected for the unruly ones who
chanced to l)e within the town's gates. The mayors from then on included
1). M. Bartlett, 1869: C. Smith, in 1875; D. G. Winchell, 1876; E. R. Ward,
in 1877; A. H. Brous, 1881-83; L. A. Williams, 1883-85; G. J. Comman,
1885-89; M!. Feathers, 1889-91; I. W. Shriver, 1891-95; C. M. Baird, 1895-
97; F. J. Cowman, 1897-99; C. M. Baird, 1899-1901 ; George K. Scott, 1901-
03; D. H. Gill, 1903-07; C. M. Baird, 1907-10; J. W. Hayes. 1910-12.
,\ nine-thousand-dollar water works plant was voted in 1904 and it is
now doing service. The present city clerk is Frank C. Turner, who is capable
for his duties.
The lodges and churches of this place will be treated in their respective
chapters elsewhere in this work.
The postoffice history of tliis place begins with its establishment in about
1855. It is now situated on the north side of the square. The first rural
route was established from this point in July, 1902, and there are now two
routes leading to the surrounding country. The amount of business trans-
acted during the year 1910 at this postoffice was three hundred and fiftv dol-
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA. 3I3
lars. Five mails are received here daily. On the night of April 21, 1909, the
safe of this postoffice was blown open by two burglars, and stamps, etc., to
the amount of eight hundred dollars and postal funds to the amount of about
one hundred and seventy-five dollars was taken out. Xo clue has ever been
obtained to the rcjbbery.
The following have served as postmasters at Prairie City : James
Elliott, J. Irely. John Butters. Caleb Bundy, D. M. Bartlett, Dennis Win-
chell. Jc^hn Lyons. A. H. Brous. T. J. Cowman, J(jhn Sell)y. W. H. Price.
Jacol) Mummert and the present incumbent, T. W. Xixon.
The town is provided with a handsome park, a full square, in which are
now growing a large number of artificial trees, which, with the band-stand
in the center, makes an attractive place.
The Knights of Pythias. Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Masons
have lodges — see chapter on Lodges in this volume.
The churches here represented are the Christian, Methodist Episcopal,
Congregational. Christian Reformed (Dutch).
BUSINESS DIRECTORY IN I9II.
Banking — The First National and the State Bank.
Prairie City Milling Company — Peter Wagman, miller.
Dowden Manufacturing Co. — Makers of end-gates and potato diggers.
Prairie City Grain and Live Stock Company — George V^anderz, manager.
General Dealers — F. J. Christie. George Cross. Illias.
Hardware Dealers — Little & Gill Company, Jenks & Son.
Drugs — X. D. Riddle. J. F. Freeman.
Harness— E. C. Wilson.
Restaurant — E. K. Ballogh. A. A. Jones.
Hotels— The Main and the Feathers. ■
Furniture — ^^^ A. Thomas.
Novelty Store — M. Feathers.
Postmaster — T. \V. Nixon.
Millinery — Carrie White.
Meats — \>rhaalen & \^erdught.
Railroad Agent — Frank Joy.
Blacksmiths — Rantlall & Son. Ren fro & Bowen.
Dentist — Dr. D. ]\I. Hemminger.
Billiard Hall— F. E. Davis.
Auctioneer — Col. John T. Graham.
-I^^ JASPER COIXTV. IOWA.
Shoes and Clothing — D. Kramer & Co.
Barbers — W'aher Hugen, Alex. Ray.
Newspaper — The Prairie City Nezus.
General Insurance — Frank L. \Voodard.
Stationery — Leonard May.
Books and Confectionary — H. C. Cowman.
Livery — William Dutley.
Lumber — McKleven & Co.
Physicians — Drs. J. F. Hary. \\'. B. Chase, W. D. AlcCormaughey. '
Attorneys — A. A. Arnold, A. H. Brous.
Opera House — The L'nion Mall. W. S. F'arker. i)roprietor.
VANDALI.\ VILLAGE.
\^andalia was laid out in 1851. John 0. Deakin and family were the
life of earlv \'andalia. The first store in the place was opened by Henry
Shearer. Mr. Deakin's father-in-law.
A school house was provided in 1856, and by a few years more the
place had outgrown the most sanguine expectations of its founder. In 1861
it was a better town than Monroe and kept on holding its enterprise until
1865. when it had a population of about five hundred. There were four
general stores, two mills, two hotels, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops
and a good plow factory. Before that date had been formed both a
Christian and Presbyterian church society.
The Des Moines Valley road had planned to take in this village on its
southeastern route, but finding that they could legally avail themselves of
every other section of valuable land, even if they did go in a ^■ery crooked
and extended course through the domain of the state, they decided to go
farther out and leave Vandalia out in the rural district in which she had
been so long located. It was the old Des Moines Navigation Companv liack
of the building of this railroad, and its litigation was the tliorn in the side of
every Congress until finally adjusted, about 1885. Many of the original
settlers all along the river, as far north as Fort Dodge, lost all they had ])ut
on their lands in way of twenty years improvements.
EARLY DAY.S IN TTTE VILLAGE.
.\t \'andalia, the first claim was taken by John O. Deakin, in 1845,
while Iowa was yet a territory. He removed from Henry countv. Iowa, in
the following year, and not long after his settlement he was joined bv liis
wife's parents, Henry Shearer and wife, and George Anderson and wife.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 315
Dnrini^- his first year's sojourn, Mr. Deakin believed he had located in Polk
county, and he cast his vote in that county in the fall of 1846. Me also served
as a grand juryman from Polk county.
The hrst birth in the village was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. An-
derson in the fall of 1849.
The first death was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. Deakin, which oc-
curred in 1848.
The first school house was erected in 1850, but a school had been taught
by George Reese, the previous winter. The patrons of this first school were
inclusive of these : Elias Prunty, Abner Ray, George Anderson, Alexander
Black and J. Q. Deakin.
In 1848 Mr. Deakin built a saw mill on Camp creek, near the west line
of the county. He cut large quantities of native lumber and patrons to his
mill came for many miles distant with logs. Two years later he commenced
the building of a flouring mill and carding machine, where \'andalia now
stands. In digging a well for his carding factory, he struck a vein of soft
coal about twenty feet below the surface. It was found to be four feet thick,
and was used for heating his buildings during the winter.
With the construction of the old Des Moines \^alley railroad, the present
Rock Island route, Vandalia began to go down, it being an inland town.
Today many know not of its former history. Its present business is con-
fined to a general store conducted by John Cavatt.
CHAPTER XXVII.
KELLOGG TOWNSHIP.
Second from the north and the same from the east, in Jasper county, is.
Kellogg township, which is all of congressional township No. 80, range 18
west. It is for the most part a fertile prairie section of the county. Its
Ix-autiful streams are (juite numerous, and these include Alloway, Burr Oak
and Coon creeks. In the central part of the township is found a good sized
hody of natural timber land. The Rock Island & Pacific railroad traverses
the territory from east to west, bearing" diagonally from southeast to north-
\\est through a larger part of its course. The only town \yithin this town-
ship is Kellogg, situated on section 23.
The township's population in 1905, as per state reports, was six hun-
dred and eight, plus that of Kellogg town, five hundred and ninety-two, mak-
ing a total of one thousand two hundred.
In 1878 it had a personal tax yaluation of $64,207. including 571 head
of horses: 30 mules; 1,407 cattle.
In 1877 the township paid a tax on all its property assessment into the
county treasury amounting to $4,986, which had been levied on a valuation
of all property, personal and real, amounting to $329,586.
Here one finds a thrifty set of settlers who have wonderfully trans-
formed the appearance and real value of the six-mile-square tract of Jasper
county land.
This township was organized in 1868 by the board of county super-
visors and had previously been attached to other territory.
TITE TOWN OF KELLOGG.
Kellogg was laid out l)y Messrs. Enos Blair and Abraham W. Adair on
September 12, 1865, \vhich was a few months before the first passenger ser-
\'ice was perfected on what is now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail-
road, then known as the Mississippi & Missouri railway, to this point in
Jasper county. It stands (original platting) on section 23, township 80,
range 18 west.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 317
Soon after the platting had been executed a postoffice was estabhshed,
known as Kimball, the name of the plat having been recorded as "J^^sper
City." The railroad, however, had named the station at this point Kellogg,
hence the place had, for a short time, three names. The track of the rail-
road being laid from east to west, headed for the Missouri river, reached
Kellogg in the spring of 1866, and soon freigiit and passenger service was
maintained. The terminus of the road was here for about a year. None
were sure what the company proposed to do in way of extension, or improve-
ments, hence most all the buildings were little other than mere board shanties,
aside from one building owned by a Mr. Downing, which later liecame the
Methodist parsonage.
During the summer and autumn of 1866 a tavern was started by Ben-
jamin Manning; Blair & j\dair, town site proprietors, oi)ened up stores and
Samuel Rich a blacksmith shop. Mr. Rich, aside from pounding at the
glowing forge, was also the ''Nasby" of the town, for he held the office of
postmaster and it is related for a truth that he delivered mail from his hat
around the embryo village. The beer saloon was early in the field here, for
during the year last mentioned two were staVted by Messrs. -\. J. Fish and
Dick Wood.
Besides those already referred to, there were residing in Kellogg during
the winter of 1866-7: William Vaughan, Robert Ludwick, J. \V. Maynard.
Samuel Rich, an attorney named Cooney, Lewis Clark. Fred C. Downing.
John Matthews, the pioneer butcher, George Laird, W. R. Reynolds, E. L.
Keagy, James McCully, Thad Woods, Captain Atwater, Barrtey Curtis,
Patrick McGuire and a few more, all, or nearly all, men of families.
Tn 1867 the peo])le united in the building of a union church, which
later was purchased by the Congregational society, and in the- winter of
1868-9 't was rented for school house purposes and in it was taught the first
school by J. H. F. Balderson.
The first sermon in the place was preached, however, by Rev. Spooner in
the depot in the late months of 1866. this man jjeing of the L'nited Brethren
faith. Next came the L'uiversali^t preacher. Rev. Eaton. Then came another
United Brethren preacher. Rev. Longshore. A society of this faith was
formed, but went down after a year or two.
The infant of Air. and Mrs. William \'aughan, born in the winter of
1866-7, '^^■^s doubtless the first to be born in Kellogg: it survived init a half
year.
The first marriage was that of William Patten to Mollie Winters in 1867.
^iS lAsi'KR c()^^T^■. iowa.
In 1872 a large and costly flouring mill plant was erected at Ixlellogg.
It was operated about three years, when it w^as burned and another followed
in a few years.
Kellogg had a fine growth for many years. A former history of this
place, compiled in 1878. speaks of it as follows : The town of Kellogg has had
a rapid growth in the thirteen years of its existence. It is surrounded by a
magnificent farming region and enjoys a large trade. Its population ranks
third in the county and it has by no means reached its limit of growth. Its
citizens are wide-awake and enterprising, and are able to hold their own in
comjietition with the surrounding towns. Its builders are fully employed
and its growth (hu-ing iH/H is equal to that of the most prosperous towns in
Iowa, population being considered."
MUNICrP.XL HISTORY.
Kellogg was legally incorporated in 1874, pursuant to a vote of its
people. The first council was organized March 16. 1874, made up as follows:
J. H. F. Halderson, mayor; W. J. Hay ward, Philip Shoemaker, L. L. Patton,
L. W. I)a\is. S. 1'). Lyday. trustees; J. P>. Burton, recorder; F. Clawson,
marslial and street commissioner.
The mayors have been as follows: J. H. F. Balderson, 1874 and 1875;
L. W. Davis. 1876: I. L. Patton, 1877-7*8; H. M. Cox, 1880; A. W. Adair,
1881-2; C. J. Wright. 1883; A. G. West, 1884; G. J. Wright, 1885; C. M.
Golden. 1886: John Simpson, 1887; J. R. Smith, 1888; D. H. Setzer, 1890;
W. J. Breedon. i8(j3: D. K. Moberly, 1896; C. K. Irish, 1900; A. G. West,
1902; S. 1). Powers. ]i)oC): \V. N. Jones, 1908; J. Boyle, 1910; F. L. Phipps,
19TI.
The n'lunicipal officers in the spring of 191 1 are: F. L. Phipps. mayor;
R. C. Birchanl. clerk; ('. J. Irish, treasurer; A. L. Miller, marshal; council-
men. C. W. Richetl, F. T. Hammer, R. C. Butron, Perry Coon.
The town is not well protected against fire. The small water svstem of
the town is not sufiicient, but better things are promised another year, when
a more up-to-date system will probably be voted upon. The recent year's
fire has opened the eyes of the citizens and business men. Now the town
only has small street wells and a cistern of small capacity on the hill. When
these improvements go in it is thought also to erect a town hall and jail com-
bined. These, with a suitable stand-pipe on the heights, will secure the
citizens and i)ro])erty owners against the further ravages of the dread fire
fiend.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. ■ 319
Kellogg has a good gasoline gas-lighting [jlant owned by the town ; also
the advantages of a good electric lighting system by the Craven Electric Com-
pany, private. The gas plant was installed in 1905 at a cost of four thousand
dollars. Bonds were floated for ten years for this purpose.
BUSINESS IN J 911.
In the month of April, 191 t, the following were the business factors in
Kellogg :
Agricultural Implements — Craven Implement Company, Craven & Mo-
berly.
Garage — Craven Garage Company.
Bank — Burton & Company's State Bank.
Barbers — Hammer & Shill, Arthur Jay.
Blacksmiths — A. N. Dunn.
Brick and Tile — Kellogg Brick and Tile Company.
Cement Blocks — R. L. West.
Clothing — Moses Caminsky.
Creamery — Beatrice Creamery Company.
Dentist — J. C. Craven.
Druggists — R. C. Birchard, Carl W. Forche.
Furniture and Undertaking — B. A. Burton.
General Dealers — Ed. Lison, Bobzin Corner Store. Jones Bros., Galusha
& Company.
Grain Dealers — Farmers' Elevator Company.
Hardware — B. A. Burton. Craven & Moberly.
Hotel — Hotel Simpson.
Lawyer — John W. Burke.
Stock — Stephen A. Morris. C. \V. Rowland.
Livery — Harry Richeld.
Lumber — Charles Bobzin.
Mills— Roller, by E. A. Conrad.
Meats — "Melcher's Market."
Milliner — Mrs. Lizzie Arthur.
Newspaper — Enterprise.
Pool Room — Mr. Nichols, of the Simpson hotel.
Physicians — Drs. J. Frank Hackett. B. Liesman. Dr. Wood.
Restaurant — Olson Bros.. Leslie Hill.
\^alve Factorv — Stock company of home capitalists.
3_>0 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
The most important concerns of Kellogg at this date are the brick and
tile factory and the \alve factory. The former was established in 1905.
The churches of the town are the ^Methodist Episcopal. Congregational,
Christian and German Lutheran societies.
The lodges include the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias
and ^^'oodmen and Yeoman orders. (See Lodge and Church histories else-
where.)
The postoffice at Kellogg was established in 1865. and has been of the
third-class since January i, 1907. There are four mails each way daily. The
first rural free delivery route was established July i. 1902. There are now
three routes. The amount of postoffice business transacted in 1910 was
$4,300.16. The following have served this office as postmasters: Samuel
Rich. B. F. Wright, William Fisher, Mrs. Phoebe Ludwick, L L. Hammer.
W. P. Coutts, J. W. Burke, E. J. Birchard, the last being the present incum-
bent;
Kellogg has been visited with two disastrous fires, one in Septem1>er,
1909. and another January 22, 191 1. In the first fire the entire eastern side
of the first business block was totally destroyed, aside from a residence or
two. One dealer, IMr. Bobzin, lost over twenty thousand dollars in this
fire. This was occasioned by a small boy burning" scrap papers in the alley
and this ignited with straw in a livery barn across the alley from the old
bank building.
In the fire of last spring the opera hall was destroyed and with it a
skating rink and part of a millinery stock. Total loss in this fire was said
to have been about five thousand dollars.
<
CO
O
-n
>
X
H
m
73
O
CHAPTER XXVIII.
INDEPEXDEXCE TOWNSHIP.
That portion of Jasper county described as congressional township 8i,
range 20 west, is known as Independence civil township. It is bounded on
the north by Marshall county ; on the east by Malaka township ; on the south
by Sherman and a part of Poweshiek townships; on the west by Clear
Creek township. It contains thirty-six sections of mixed timber and prairie
land; is well watered by numerous small streams and larger creeks, all flowing
southward, emptying into the waters of the Skunk river. The town of
Baxter, a station on the Great Western railroad, is situated at the exact
center of the township, and was long before railroad days known as Baxter
postoffice.
Independence township was organized in IMarch, 1858, by the county
judge then in office. This was one of the later townships set ofif from the
original precincts of Jasper county.
The population of the township in 1905, according to state reports, had
reached nine hundred and twenty-nine.
In 1878 the value of personal property was fixed at $52,909, of which
sum were included 619 head of work horses; 20 mules; 1.473 head of cattle.
In 1878 the total amount of taxable property, personal and real, in In-
dependence township was placed at $241,443, and the tax on the same was
turned into the county treasury to the amount of $4,517. See present valua-
tion list elsewhere for all the townships within the county.
A TERRIBLE REAPER ACCIDENT.
Among the terrible accidents of this township may be recalled that of
1874, when Alfred Butler, son of a widow Butler, of this township, was
killed by a reaper. The team he was driving became frightened at a terrific
clap of thunder and started to run, throwing the boy from his seat in such
a manner that his body fell in front of the cutting bar of the reaper, by which
part of the machine his right foot was severed and his left leg amputated at
(21)
... JASl'KK COINTV, IOWA.
—
the groin, the parts above being so mangled and torn that death ended his
sufferings in a few minutes, and before the men at work binding could reach
him.
THE TOWN OF BAXTER.
What was originally styled "Baxter Postoffice," on section 22. of In-
dependence township, has come to be a thriving town of about five hundred
and fifty population. It is situated on the Great Western railroad and
draws trade from a large fanning settlement, it now being the most business-
like place in the northern part of Jasper county. It had in 1877 come to be a
small hamlet in which were to be seen a postoffice, a physician, a public hall
in which public meetings, church services, etc., were held, and near at hand
was a good frame school building.
Baxter has made its great growth since the building of the railroad, first
stvled the "Diagonal." then the ''Maple Leaf" route and now the Chicago
Great Western system. This railroad reached this place in 1883, since which
date the town has made much growth.
The town was platted October 24. 1883. by David W. and Amy Smith.
It is within Independence township and is a part of section 24. It was in-
corporated in 1894, and the 191 1 municipal officers are as follows: H. Haz-
lett. mayor; Carl C. Webb, clerk: Charles Burdick, treasurer; H. H. Mag-
gard, marshal ; councilmen, J. S. Booth. W. T. Thorp. George Diehl. O. E.
Cunningham. A. C. Rose.
The mayors of Baxter have been as follows: J. D. Richards. 1894; G.
\\'. Thompson, 1896; J. F. Klise, 1897-1899, inclusive; W. T. Thorp, 1900
to 1904; C. C. Graham. 1904-05; H. Hazlett, 1906 to the present date, hav-
ing served well and faithfully for the last six years.
The question of providing some adequate water works for Baxter
comes up at the special election this season. It is designed (if the people so
elect) to issue bonds in the sum of ten thousand dollars.
In 1904 the town erected a city building of cement blocks at a cost of
one thousand six hundred dollars and in connection with this building a
gasoline gas plant was added, costing the sum of four thousand five hundred
dr)llars. The bonds run ten years.
THE POSTOFFICE II I.STORY.
This office was established at an early date in the town's history and
among those who have been postmasters are the following : S. B. Higgins,
Milo T. Burnett, J. F. Klise, George T. Hager, F. L. Phipps. D. R. Mann.
Mrs. J. N. Mann, Carl C. Webb, who was appointed July i, 1906.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 323
A twenty-six-mile rural route was established a few years since. The
receipts of this office in 1910 amounted to about one thousand seven hundred
and twenty-nine dollars.
191 I BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
In the fall of 1910 the following were the chief business and professional
factors of the town of Baxter:
Banking — State Savings Bank and People's State Bank.
Baxter Dairy Company.
Baxter Roller :\Iills — Hager & Noah.
Baxter Telephone Company (incorporated).
Blacksmiths— O. S. Tipton, H. D. Wilson.
Baxter JNIercantile Company.
Harness Shop — C. C. Commack & Company.
Implements — Baxter Implement Company.
Newspaper — The Neiv Era.
Pool Room — C. S. Bishop.
Cigar Maker — August Gouch.
Clothing — H. E. Gould & Company. j
Coal — Denniston & Partridge and S. E. Squires.
Dentist — \\. R. Crawford.
Drugs — Downs Drug Company and C. ]\I. Forney.
Furniture — Buckley & Noah.
General I>ealers — Miller & Klemme.
Hardware — Buckley & Noah, Hasiie Hardware Company.
Hotels — The Commercial, by G. A. Small, a dollar hotel by Mrs. Mar-
garet Cool.
Live Stock — F. W. Scharmann, J. M. Vansice. Smith & Wiley.
Meat ^Market — Duncan McKenzie.
Millinery — Mrs. H. H. Maggard.
Photographs — J. L. Butler.
Physicians — Drs. H. W. Canfield. C. C. Graham and Paul Koeper.
Planing :\Iills— O. O. Tipton. ;
Poultry and Eggs — Thomas Canfield.
Real Estate Dealer— C. C. Webb.
Insurance — C. C. W^ebb.
Shoemaker — James Trussel.
Postal Telegraph & Cable Company.
^24 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Klise's Opera House.
Jewelry — G. H. Pease.
For the Lodge and Church history of Baxter see spteci^l chapters.
VILLAGE OF IRA.
This is one of the smallest villages in the county, and yet much business
is transacted here. It was platted as a station point on the Great Western
railroad about 1883-4 and now has a population of about one hundred and
fiftv. It had, in the spring of 191 1, a Christian and Methodist Episcopal
church ; a Modern Woodman of America camp of thirty members and the
Yeomen also had a lodge at this place, organized about 1890. Both meet in
the hall on the second floor of the Ira Building Association's building.
The business interests at Ira are now :
Lumber — The Ira Lumber Company, L. F. Richards, manager.
Grain — Rippey & Hanson.
General Dealers — G. A. Ruml3augh, A. H. Campbell.
Hardware — C. C. Barbee.
Blacksmiths — F. I. Inglis.
Barber — L. I. Harding.
Bank — Farmers Savings Bank.
Postmaster — A. W. Jeffries.
Harness shop — W. W. Mead.
Restaurant — C. L. Palmer.
Stock dealer — Trammel & Jeffries.
Railway agent — W. M. Barber.
Implements — F. I. Inglis, Hurst Hotel.
A |)ostoffice was established at Ira in 1883 and is now situated on lot
No. 9, block 5. A rural free delivery route was established here April i,
1903. The amount of business transacted here in 1910 was five hundred and
tw-elve dollars and thirteen cents. Two mails are sent and received here daily
at this time. It is a fourth-class postoffice. The postmasters who have
served here have been in the following order: Salem Jeffries, ^^^ J. Craw-
ford. II. A. Jeffries. ^\^ J. Crawford, H. A. Jeffries, H. R. Lorimor, A. W.
Teffries.
CHAPTER XXIX.
HICKORY GROVE TOWNSHIP.
The extreme northeastern subdivision of Jasper county is known as
Hickory Grove township. It is six miles square and comprises township 8i,
range 17 west. It has but few streams of much size and is a prairie town-
ship of excellent fertility and now well improved and the abiding place of
hundreds of magnificent and valuable farm homes. The only village within
its borders is Xfewburg, on the eastern line, midway north and south, a station
point on' the Iowa Central railway. This township is bounded by Marshall
county on its north ; by Poweshiek county on the east ; by Rock Creek town-
ship on the south; and by Mariposa township on its west. In 1905 its popu-
lation was placed by the state authorities at six hundred and thirty-eight.
It was organized in 1864 and was among the later ones to be set off from
the original townships or precincts of the county.
Among the earliest land entries within this township may be named
Francis Holyoke and Homer Hamlin in the northeast quarter of the south-
east quarter of section 20, May 12, 1854; John Swigart. the southwest (luar-
ter of section 34, on May 15, 1854.
The amount of money apportioned from the school fund in the spring
of 185 1 for this township was but a few dollars: the amount for the territory
now included (the township not yet having been organized) in Hickory
Grove and two other precincts was only $28.10, but at that day but little was
needed for schools, as settlers were very far between.
In October, 1865. William R. Skiff was appointed agent to locate swamp
lands scrip for Jasper countv, but nothing was done for a year when he was
ordered to dispose of the scrip for cash, on the best possible terms.
UNUSUAL ITEMS OF INTEREST.
In the middle of August. 1876. Harry Ford, a lad of seven years, was
bitten by a rattlesnake in this township. The fangs of the reptile struck him
in the hollow of his foot and he being heated at the time, the poison was ab-
sorbed into his svstem and as a result he died within twentv-four hours.
jj() JASPER COl'XTV. IOWA.
In June. 1875, a small child of Scott Aydelotte. of this township, was
scalded to death. Its mother had placed a tub of boiling hot water in the
middle of the room, and had stepped to a nearby well, leaving the child in
the room alone. The child approached the tub. fell in and was so badly
scalded that it yielded up its innocent young life the day following.
In 1878 Hickory Grove township had an assessed valuation of personal
property amounting to $26,625 ; of this was included 527 horses. 47 mules
and asses and 800 cattle.
In 1877 the total valuation of all property in this township was $284,-
450. on which they paid into the county treasury the sum of $4,487.
The schools and churches, as well as lodges of this township, are de-
scribed in general chai)ters on these topics elsewhere.
The Iowa Central railroad touches the eastern sections of this township,
with a station point at Newburg, a small platted place in section ^24. An
other branch of the same railroad runs to the northwest . from Newburg, go-
ing diagonallv to section 6 where it leaves the county.
The wagon roads in this township are situated, as a rule, on section lines
and are well worked.
The conveniences of modern mail service, the telephone and other im-
provements which are now universally enjoyed by all up-to-date farmers
here obtain to a good degree. To be a land owner in this goodly portion of
the ''kingdom of Jasper" is indeed to be an independent citizen.
VILLAGE OF NEWBURG.
In Hickory Grove township, in the northeastern corner of Jasper county,
is situated Newburg. A postoffice was established at this point in 1878. It
was made a rural delivery station in July, 1902. The amount of business
transacted in 1910 was only sex'enteen dollars and ten cents. This office
suffered the loss of fifty-three dollars by a robbery, to which no clue was
ever obtained. Two mails are receixed here daily, except Sunday. The fol-
lowing persons have served as postmasters or postmistresses : E. H. Taylor,
James R. Wood, O. V. Kenaston, ¥. J. Edelblite, Miss Sarah J. Clay, served
nine years and six months, until August 23, 1893. when Mrs. Mary J. Craw-
ford served until May 11. 1897, or three years and eight months, when Miss
Sarah J. Clay was reappointed and is still serving.
The population is now supposed to be about one hundred and fifty.
There are two church buildings in Newburg, the Church of God and the
Congregational denominations. See church chapter.
, JASPKR COUNTY, IOWA. 327
The business interests of Newburg in April, 191 1, are:
General dealers — G. D. Alden, Dale Livingston.
Banking — The Newburg Savings Bank.
Grain — Newburg Farmers lilevator Company, doing almost half a mil-
lion dollars worth of business annually.
The Newburg Creamery- Company, with numerous routes, doing an an-
nual business of $30,000.
Implements and lumber — A. C. Newcomer.
Blacksmiths — George E. Buck, W. T. Richardson, who also runs a ma-
chine shop.
Hotel — Shannon House, by John Shannon and wife.
The agent for the Iowa Central Lines at this station has l)een for the
past seventeen years, P. S. Howard.
It goes without saying that this place is situated within one of Iowa's
richest farming sections
CHAPTER XXX.
LYNN GROVE TOWNSHIP.
Lynn Grove township is one of the original precincts of Jasper county,
organized by the commissioners in 1846. It is situated in the extreme
southeastern corner of the county ; is bounded on the east by Poweshiek
county, on the south by ]\Iahaska county, on the west by Elk Creek town-
ship. Jasper county, and on its north by Richland township. It comprises, as
now constituted, all of congressional township yS, range 17 west. The
northeastern portion is cpiite rough and originally heavily timbered, while
the balance of its territory is fine, rich prairie land, the cultivation of which
has made it among the richest sections within Jasper county. The enter-
prising town of Lynnville is the only place within this township, a history
of which will follow the general history of the township. This township
originally included much more teriltorv than at present.
The schools and churches are mentioned under their respective head-
ings, in the general chapters of this volume.
.\t the general election in 1852 this township gave the following votes
for the presidential candidates : For Gen. Winfield Scott, eighteen ; for
Franklin Pierce, twelve. Scott carried Jasper county, but was not elected.
In 185^; when the prohibition cjuestion first came up for solution in
Jasper county, the voters of this township gave thirty-one votes for prohi-
bition as against thirty-four votes against it. The measure carried in the
county by thirty-five majority, and saloons then had to pay a license in order
to sell intoxicating liquors.
That this township was in a ]M-osperous condition in 1878 it only need
be said that the county records show that there was at that date $76,580
worth of personal property, including tlic following items: 747 horses. 210
mules and asses and 2,011 cattle of a taxable age. The previous year the
record is that this township paid into the county treasury the sum of $5,304.19.
as the taxes on a total \aluation of all pro])erty of $257,505.
The population of the townshi]). according to the reports compiled by
authority of the state, in 1905 was eight hundred and eighty-three.
The first pioneers in this goodly township were original land entry men
— men who sought out this section of the famous Iowa countr\- in which to
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 309
build for themselves homes. Among- the earlier land entries the following
named are now recalled after consulting the records of the county and the
land office books : John R. Sparks, the west half of the northwest of section
10. December 4, 1846; William ]\I. Stallings; Walter Turner, Jr., the east
half of the southeast of section 36, November 18, 1847; Moses Starr, the
northwest of section 35, April 27, 1848.
The original township, or territorial precinct, of Lynn (irove included
''all that part of Jasper county east of the range line between 17 and 18."
But we find that changes were made and that on September 4, 1854. the
territory of the precinct was sub-divided, throwing Rock Creek into a terri-
tory described as "congressional townships 80 and 81, range 17 west."
In 1857 the record shows that Lynn Grove was still in possession of all
territory within congressional townships 78 and 79. range ij west.
Richland township was cut off in i860, since which date Lynn Grove
has been as now seen on the maps, an even township of land.
Some time in the fall of 1846 a saw mill was constructed and started in
this township by A. T. Sparks. It was on the North Skunk river, and bv the
end of harvest time, in 1848, he had a good flouring mill in operation. This
was a superior milling plant to that hitherto put up with by the pioneers,
who had much trouble to obtain good flour at the illy-built make-shifts of
mills in this section of Iowa. It was greatly prized by the people of the en-
tire county, saving as it did three days drive to Oskaloosa over very uncertain
streams and poor highways.
Concerning the hardships of settlers here, the reader is referred to the
general early settlement chapter in this volume.
In March. 1851, the record shows that the apportionment from the
school fund for this township amounted to forty-two dollars and sixty-one
cents. This looks small to the residents of the school district in this year of
the world.
ANOTHER EARLY .SETTLEMENT ACCOUNT.
Among the various historical writings of Joseph Arnold of this town-
ship the writer has gleaned the following facts :
In the spring of 1844, Wesley Stallings, his son W'illiam, and David
Campbell came to Lynn Gro\e to establish homes. They came with ox teams.
But prior to these pioneers had come fi\e men and taken claims and two had
cabins built on them by these men. But all alone in the green glad solitude of
the far west, these men tired of the country, believing that ilot in their life
3^0 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
time would this couiitry ever be settled up. hence they hunted and doubtless
found greener pastures more to their liking.
On the arrival of the Campbells and Stallings they took the two claims
on which had been the cabins referred to above. They broke out twenty
acres of the virgin sod and when their plow became too dull to do further
work in the sod they went seventy-fne miles to have the sharpening done
and paid for the work in breaking. While on this trip they chanced to meet
\V. T. Mayfield and wife,, Nancy, with a family of six children. They
begged them to locate in this section of Iowa and this they did in the month
of August following. The Stallings returned and sowed some turnip seed
and made many other improvements on their claims, then returned to their
old home in Illinois. \\'hen Mr. Stallings returned he had his wife and five
children and one dollar and seventy-five cents in cash.
In the spring of 1845, D'^vid Campbell and family returned on April 19.
It is quite certain that these constituted all that were in Lynn Grove in 1844.
John R. Sparks and wife with eight children arrived in 1845, during the
month of March. He possessed twenty-five dollars and a team of horses,
two yoke of oxen and two yoke of steers. They located on section 10 and
he lived and died on that claim. He used to relate that the Indians were so
thick that they stuck out from under the bed frequently, but that he never had
any trouble with them, but was more troubled with wild animals than with In-
dians. Mr. Sparks died August 17, 1886, and his good wife passed away in
June of the same year and they were liuried in the Odd Fellows cemetery near
Old Settler's Park.
Mathew T. Mathews came in company with Mi\ Sparks. He had a wife
and five children at the time. They commenced housekeeping in a log cabin
without doors or w indow s.
J. W. Swan, the first treasurer of Jasper county, located here in 1845.
He made many a coftin for the people who died in an early day in his section
of this county.
FIRST EVENTS.
It is always of more or less interest to know the first hai)pcnings in the
settlement of any given portion of a county, hence the following:
The first township election was held when all was primitive. The ballot
box consisted of a tin cup with a si)elling book for its cover. In the evening
the ballots were counted out fair and scjuare and the number was fourteen
and Jabez Starr was elected justice of the peace.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 33^1
The first couple married was Alexander Davis and Mercy Shoemaker, in
the winter of 1848-9. The next was Jesse Hammer and Margaret Sparks.
The first death was that of the ten-year-old daughter of Wesley Stallings.
The first sermon in the township was preached by John Cameron.
LYNNVILLE.
This sprightly town is located on section 11 of Lynn Grove township,
and was laid out by John and Mary Arnold in 1856. There is perhaps no
section of Jasper county more replete with early day histor)', in many ways,
than this vicinity. The first claims to land in what afterwards became Lynn
Grove township were those made by Wesley Stallings and ''Tandy'" May-
field, who came in the spring or summer of 1844. In the fall of the same
year occurred the first birth in the neighborhood, the same being the second
in Jasper county. This was in the family of Mr. Mayfield, and the child was
named Xapoleon B.
John R. Sparks and several others whose names are not recalled by the
old settlers now settled in the Grove during 1845. The first death of that
year was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shillings, aged about eleven years. Mrs.
William Sparks passed from the scenes of this life in 1846.
In the autumn of 1845 ^^^- Sparks began the construction of a saw
mill and completed it the following year. This was doubtless the first saw
mill in Jasper county, hence it had all it could possibly do as the pioneer
settlers must needs have lumber with which to aid in building. Mr. Sparks
also began his grist mill in 1847 and completed it himself, only aided by Mr.
Richards. It commenced grinding in the fall of 1848. This was the first
flouring mill completed in Jasper county. It was operated many years by
its builder, but in the seventies passed into the hands of F. & J. Arnold.
A school house was built in the autumn of 1848 and a school taught by
a }oung teacher named Foster. The following spring a Sabbath school was
started by Miss Lizzie Springer as its supenntendent.
Probably the first camp meeting in Jasper county was held by the Metho-
dist Protestant denomination either in 1850 or 185 1.
Lvnnville is situated on the right bank of the North Skunk river, which
here is a very rapidly flowing stream. In 1878 the town had a population of
about five hundred souls. It is situated also about four miles to the west
of Searsboro. on the Iowa Central railway line.
A creditable local newspaper was founded at Lynnville in 1876 by B. F.
Arnold, who later removed to Kellogg.
2^2 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Lvnnville was incorporated in 1875 *"oi' the purpose of controlling the
liquoi' traffic, which the common law did not well regulate. The first council
met September 28. 1875. and was composed as follows: O. C. Meredith,
mavor: W. W. Dryden. recorder; Z. F. Cause, Joel Hyatt, B. F. Arnold, G.
R. \\'hite. 1. j. \\'hite. trustees; Joel Hyatt, treasurer; J. B. Xaylor. solicitor;
D. C. Edwards, marshal ; Taylor Brown, street commissioner.
Ordinance Xo. i was for prohibiting the sale of liciuor in the corpora-
tion. In 1876 a pound was established and much attention was given to the
building of suitable sidewalks.
The following include the list of mayors in Lynnville since its incorpora-
tion : O. C. Meredith, then in their order came Miles Tahash, Joseph Arnold,
R. T. English (two terms), L. H. Bufkin, G. B. McCoy, E. \V. Jay. E. B.
Macv. C. W. Wildman, the present mayor. The 191 1 officers are: Mayor,
C. W. Wildman; clerk, E. M. Gary; treasurer, G. F. Briggs ; council, S. R.
Alice. M. H. Cause, G. H. Xewby. A. T. Gifford, W. A. Cunningham.
As the churches, schools and lodges have been made topics in chapters
bv themselves, for all the towns of the county, no reference is here made of
them. This is al.so true of the interesting subject of the old slave time "Un-
derground Railroad." which had a station here. See general chapters.
The population of Lynville as shown by the state census reports for 1905
was four hundred and sixty-two.
BUSINESS INTERE.STS IN I9II.
At this date the business of Lynnville is carried on successfully by the
following persons;
General dealers — J. H. Cause & Company, Briggs Brothers, Rich Rivers.
Hardware — Ollie Ladd, F. W. Royden.
Harness shoi^ — Lynville Harness Company.
Meats — W. F. Zimmerman, V. A. Johnson.
Milliner.s — Flora X'^oah, Cause & Garner.
Furniture — A. T. Gifford.
Livery — John Thompson.
Hotel — Mrs. T. .\. Thompson.
Photographs — Edith Burnham.
Roller Mills — Fred Wagman, manager.
l-'arm Implements — Clertsma (.K: Renaud, C. B. McCoy.
Lumber — ]\[acy Brothers.
Grain and Stock — Macy Brothers.
I JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 333
Brick and Tile — C. H. Xewby.
Cement Blocks — H. C. Alacy.
Newspapers — The Lynnvillc Star, C. \V. Wildman.
Builders and Contractors — J. C. Trease ^nd S. R. Alice & Son.
Blacksmith — J- Noah.
LVXXVILLE POSTOFFICE.
In 1901 Joseph Arnold wrote concerning this postoffice as follows: "At
this writing Lynnville is supplied with a branch of the Iowa Central railroad
running from New Sharon to Newton. It affords ample means of trans-
portation, and the mail car attached to the passenger train drops off its mail
on time. This is a wonderful contrast with the one-horse carrier in the
person of Mr. Eli Wolf, who in the year 1848, and on into the fifties, made a
weekly trip, or a 'try' weekly trip it should be said, for when the roads were
impassable he abandoned it days at a time. John R. Sparks was appointed
postmaster when the office was first established. He kept it in a small building
near where the hotel later stood. In a short time it was inconvenient for
him to attend to the office and a returned ]\Iexican soldier, Sabin Stanwood,
was appointed in his place. He lived a mile and a half west of Lynnville. In
1853 Joseph Arnold was appointed postmaster by President Franklin Pierce.
The desk turned over to him was of black walnut, three feet long and fifteen
inches wide and about eight inches deep. This, with a roll of paper, com-
prised the furniture, and was carried by me from Stanwood's house to Lynn-
ville under my arm. It set up the postoffice in the claim in which I lived,
which was located on what is now lot i; block 3."
The postmasters have served in about the following order : Joseph
Arnold, Mattie Cloud. William Drs'den, Joseph McConnell, Jacob Kitch,
^N^^riett^ Dryden, Ollie ]\Iathews, Marietta Dryden, Charles W. Wildman.
In 1903 a rural route was extended out from Lynnville over a line twenty-
nine miles in length; T. A. Thompson has been the driver four years. The
receipts of this office are about one thousand dollars a year. The number of
mails sent out each week is fifteen and eighteen are received.
VILLAGE OF SULLY.
This excellent town is situated on section 8 of Lynn Grove township, on
the line of the Iowa Central railroad from Newton to New Sharon, four
miles west of Lynnville, and in 1900 had a population of one hundred and
fifty and a good bank, lumber yard, large general store, a newspaper and an
implement house. At present it has the following :
:^i>_j. JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Bank of Sully.
Hotels — The Sully House, by Airs. Rusa Hammer; and the house con-
ducted near the railroad, by Mrs. A. J. Ouinn.
General Stores — C. E. Haan, Boat & Verdencamp.
Drugs — C. y. Shipman.
Restaurant — R. Burnham.
Harness Work — Holdsworth & Company.
Livery — Eldridge Brothers.
Hardware — Vangenderen & Luberden, who are also blacksmiths ; Holds-
worth & Company.
Lumber — D. S. Jardema.
Grain — Emmet Awtry.
Contractors — N. J. Edwards, Henry Willets.
Garage — H. Welle.
Dressmaker — Mrs. Everett Eldridge, Miss Neva Edmundson.
Barber — Lee Perry.
Butcher — E. Austin.
Railroad Agent— H. B. Lane.
Physicians — Drs. O. O. Carpenter, J. C. Smith.
Sully was incorporated as a town late in the nineties and the following-
have served as mayors in the order here named : H. Welle. Robert Willets,
C. Burnham, W. H. Holdsworth, S. G. Sherman.
The 191 1 town officials are: Mayor. S. G. Sherman, J. G. Huigen,
treasurer; D. Sjaardema, clerk; councilmen. Henry Welle, A. C. Boat,
E. Awtry. J. P. Brunner. Peter Lubberden.
In the month of April. 191 1, at the spring election, the matter of voting
on the question of providing water and fire protection was up, and resulted
in the casting of sixty-two votes. There were forty-five cast for voting and
selling bonds to the amount of eight thousand five hundred dollars and seven-
teen voted against the enterprise. At this election the ladies who were en-
titled to a vote cast forty-four votes, of wliich all were favorable but seven.
The bonds will be floated and the work of construction begun this season.
The tower for the tank will be one hundred and eight feet high and the tank
will hold thirty thousand gallons. Gasoline engines will be installed to pump
w ith. This movement upon the part of the enterprising people of Sully will
never be regretted.
The postoffice was established here in the nineties and the following
have served as the postmasters: Lew Mather, C. Phelps, T. H. Thomson,
L. H. Sherman, appointed 1890; L. M. Doani, 1893; Cornelius Boat, 1897;
Henry DeWit. 1899; John Varenkamp. 1903, and still in office.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 335
A rural free delivery was extended from this point in February, 1903,
and is twenty-six miles in length. The first carrier was R. E. White and the
present one is E. S. Haines. It was made a money order point in August,
1902. The receipts of this postoffice (outside of money order business) in
1910 was eight hundred and seventy-seven dollars and eight cents.
The churches at Sully in the spring of 191 1 are Congregational, "Christ-
ian Holland Dutch," Methodist Protestant and Dutch Reformed.
The lodges are the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and its various
auxiliaries.
The churches and lodges are mentioned in their respective chapters in
the general chapters of this volume.
CHAPTER XXXI.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP.
Richland township is situated in the south and eastern portion of the
county, comprising all of congressional township 79, range 17 west, hence is
six miles square and contains thirty-six sections of choice land. Its chief
stream is the Skunk river, which courses through the territory from north to
south, with a heavy body of natural timber growing in the south part of the
township. In the east part is Sugar creek, a small stream.
Richland is situated south of Rock creek, west of Poweshiek county,
north of Lynn Grove township and east of Buena Vista township. The
correction line runs on the southern boundary of Richland township.
Richland was organized in i860. The population of this township in
1905 was placed by state reports as being seven hundred and thirty-nine.
The property valuation — personal and real — in 1877 ^^'^^ $244,569, on
which the taxes amounted to $4,816. The assessed valuation of all personal
property in 1878 was $43,141, inclusive of 537 head of horses, 40 head of
mules and 1,108 head of taxable cattle. See table of various townships for
1910, in the chapter on County Government.
At this date there are laid out and well improved highways on almost
every section line in this township. The chief business of the people in this
section of Jasper county being agriculture, the lands are well tilled and farm-
ers are in a prosperous condition. There are no towns within Richland
township, but the modern advantages of both telephones and free rural mail
delivery makes farming a pleasant task instead of a hum-drum life as it was
in the fifties, sixties and seventies.
Richland has its full cjuota of well conducted public schools which are
mentioned in the Educational chapter of this volume.
CHAPTER XXXII.
POWESHIEK TOW XSHIP.
Powesliiek township was named in honor of that very intelhgent and
"good Indian" chieftain of the Sac tribes of Iowa Indians.
It is situated on the western line of Jasper county, second from the
northern border, with Polk county to the west, Clear Creek township to the
north, Sherman township on the east and Mound Prairie and Washington
townships on the south. Indian creek is its eastern border most of the dis-
tance north and south, which fact caused it to be set over into another con-
gressional township a part of one tier of sections from the one it is chiefly
composed of. Its main territory is within township 80, range 21 west.
However its southwestern corner is taken off from what would be a right
angle, by reason of its line at that point going only to the banks of the South
Skunk river, leaving two sections of township 80 on the south side of the
river in Washington township.
Poweshiek has considerable native timber within its borders and coal is
found in paying mining quantities. This is said to be one of Jasper county's
banner townships, and w ith its excellent coal lands and fertile surface it has
come to be looked upon as among the most valuable realty within this section
of the state.
This township was organized in January, 1847, by the county commis-
sioners, who then were the sole rulers of the county, this being prior to the
establishment of the old county judge system, which obtained from 1851 to
1868, but more properly a one-man power up to 1861, when the supervisor
system was established in Iowa.
The commissioners" record, relative to this township, reads : "January
5, 1847 — To provide for the needs of the growing population of this county,
be it ordered that there be a precinct laid off in the northwest corner of Jasper
county, to be called Poweshiek precinct, said precinct to commence as fol-
lows : On the county line, at a supposed line so as to include the Slaughter
Grove, on the south side of the Skunk river, at the east end of said grove,
thence north to the county line so as to include all the Indian creek timber
and its tributaries.
(22)
:^^S JASPER COrXTV. IOWA.
"Ordered, that the place tor hokhni;- electicms in Poweshiek precinct he at
the house of John McDonald.
"Ordered, That Lenuiel Perrin, C. H. i lanilin and Joseph Kint/. he ap-
pointed as judges of elections in Poweshiek precinct."
The population of this townshi]) in 1003, according to the state census,
was one thousand thirty-two.
It is now thickly settled and lands are held at high prices. Init when
sold or exchanged the one leaving goes much farther and fares no hetter
than to have remained the possessor of a fine farm in Poweshiek, in which
township the old Indian chieftain made his last home, as the good head of the
Sac tribe of Indians. Indeed great has been the transformation in these
parts since the dusky warrior took his farewell look at the beautiful plains
and hillsides, his last hunting grounds.
Among the first to enter government land in this goodly section of
Jasper county were: Seth Richards, who claimed the east half of the south-
east quarter and the southeast cjuarter of the northeast quarter of section i.
June 29, 1849: Levi Plummer. the north fractional half of section 2, Septem-
ber 17, 1849.
The school history of this townshij) will be found in the chapter on
luiucation. It may be well in passing, howe\er, to mention the fact that the
school fund apportionment in this township in 185 1 was but eighteen dollars
and twenty-fi\'e cents.
At the 1852 presidential election the \'ote in Poweshiek township re-
sulted in gi\ing (ien. W'infield Scott eighteen \otes as against eight cast for
l-'ranklin Pierce. Pierce was elected, but Scott carried Jasper county.
When the xote on prohibition was taken in Jasper coimty in the spring
of 1855. the vote stood, "for license eighteen, and thirt\"-one against" in Pow-
eshiek township.
TOWXS AXD VILLAGES.
In this township ha\e been platted four towns. Greencastle, on section 14.
Mingo, on section 3. Valeria, on section 20. and Oswalt, on section 33.
Greencastle — a name almost ol)Solete now — was a \illage nestled down
in the midst of a fine farming section of this county. The first w hite man to
settle in this vicinity was pioneer Joseph Slaughter and a few who came in
about the same time in 1846. A school district was located near Slaughter's
settlement in 1849. showing the character of the few who braved the new
country hardships.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 339
A successful Independence Day celebratifni was hel<l there Julv 4. 1859.
at which tlie throng- assembled at the school house, formed in gay procession
and marched to the music of the CJreencastle String Band to seats in the
western part of the village. George E. Baker was presiding officer; Revs.
Carr and E. M. II. Flemming made short addresses; also Rev. Murray. After
the picnic dinner was o\er. short speeches were made by Rev. W. Schaffer
and H. S. Winslow.
In 1866 Dr. J. II. Knox, a homeopathic doctor, located there.
In 1875 a flouring mill was erected ])y bishcr & Pfieffer. the same having
a capacity daily of one hundred barrels.
The Methodist society, early in the field at Greencasde. Imilt a good
church building.
With the construction of the railroad — the Great Western — the village
of Greencastle went down and now there is but litle if anv business carried
on there and the mail is delivered by rural carrier.
VILLAGE OF MINGO.
^lingo is situated on section 3, on the line of the Chicago Great Western
railroad, sixteen miles to the north and west of Xewton. For its platting see
^Miscellaneous chapter on 'A'illage Plats." This is an enterprising little place
of about two hundred and eight\- people, it is an incorporated place — one
of the smallest incorporations in this county. Commencing with its first
mayor in 1903. the list of mayors is: L. C. Westfall, Jacob Stiers. W. W.
Goodrich, R. D. Armstrong, L. C. \\'estfall. W. F. Hayes, L. C. Westfall.
The present town officials are: L. C. Westfall, mayor; W. E. Witmer,
clerk; Charles idansen. treasurer; councilmen. W. E. Hayes. D. McKeever,
C. C. Black. D. B. Adams. F. 1-^. Baldwin: town marshal. Martin Xeal.
The town has a lively Odd Fellows' lodge and also a Woodmen of
America camp, mentioned in the Secret Society chapter. Its churches are the
Methodist and Christian denominations.
The two railroads at Mingo are the Great Western and the Xewton &
Xorthwestern routes.
Of the postoffice history it should here be stated that Mingo was named
for the town of like name in Ohio, by the present i)ostmaster. R. C. Everett.
and the original name was derived from that noble old Indian chieftain. "The
Mingo Chief," so familiar to all .school l)oys. The postmasters have served
in the following order: \\'. H. Penquite, 1'. W. Rumbaugh, Dr. W. W.
Hawk. Ira Cummings, R. C. Everett. A. E. Rees. Jasper Watt. R. C. Everett.
340 .lASl'ER COLNTV. IOWA.
About 1907 a rural route was established from this point, with C E. Baker
as carrier. There are two mails each way daily from Mingo. The office
receipts in 19 10 were eight hundred and fourteen dollars and seventy-five
cents, including box rents.
The business interests in Mingo in April, 191 1, were as follows:
Banking — ]\Iingo Savings and Trust Company.
Lumber — The Adams Lumber Company,
Grain Dealer — A. \V. Frey.
Stock — Berkley & Ivnotsnian.
Meats — Xeal & Franklin.
Hotel — Mingo House.
Millinery — Mrs. S. E. Harter.
Barbers — Joseph Pitcock and E. C. Kelley.
General Dealers — \V. A. Witmer, H. M. Baker, Mingo Mercantile Com-
pany.
tlardware — E. C. Southern Hardware Company and G. L. Rumbaugh.
Drugs — Charles Hansen.
Implements — Black Brothers.
Produce — Des Aloines Poultry Company.
Livery — Albert Kerns.
Physician — Dr. D. C. Garner.
Wagon Shoi) — David McKeever,
VILLAGE OF VALERIA.
This is another town created by the building of the Chicago Great West-
ern railroad through this township. It also became a junction point with
the road named and the Colfax & Northern line. Its population in 1900 was
one hundred and tifty. A bank was established there in 1901 by Benjamin
Falen, but it has closed. Its present business consists of the following:
General Dealers — C. J. Ryan and J. Y. Fiddler.
Restaurant-hotel — H. Stiers.
Barber Shop — W. M. Keever.
Hardware — J. A. Radley.
Lumber — H. E. Stoke.
Livery — J, C. Stanley. ,
Millinery — Miss Doha Vernocom.
Grain Dealers — Gannon Brothers.
Drugs — Charles Worrick.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 34I
With the coal deposit running out hy being worked many years; by the
great cyclone through the township in May, 1896, and several disastrous fires,
the town has gone down instead of advancing. One fire in April. 1894. burned
on both sides of the main street, causing much damage.
The population is now less than one hundred souls. The churches of
Valeria are the Catholic and Methodist Episcopal. The latter is served by
the pastor at Mingo.
The following have served as postmasters at Valeria: C. A. O'Brien,
J. W. Walters, Mr. Bushard, Frank Woods, F. G. Pease, B. Anderson, J. B.
Hessinus, C. Jones, C. J. Bryan, who was appointed in 1910. It is a fourth-
class and a money order office. It was robbed in July, 1910, of four dollars
and sixty-three cents. Under postmaster Anderson a fire in March, 191 1,
visited the office, but little was lost, but in the sweeping fire of 1894 the entire
office effects were lost.
OSWALT.
This is now a mere station point on the Colfax & Northern railroad,
midway between Colfax and Valeria. At one time, in the palmy coal ship-
ping days, it had considerable local business.
CHAPTER XXXIll.
PALO ALTO TOWNSHIP.
Talo Alto township is iinniediately south of Newton city and township,
west of Buena X'ista and Elk Creek, north of Elk Creek and Eairview town-
ships and to the east of the Fairview and Sherman townships. It is of irregu-
lar shape owing to its domain taking the territory to the northeast of South
Skunk river in its southwestern part. Its territory comprises parts of con-
gressional townships yS and 79, in range 19 west. It contains about thirty-
live sections of land and is eight miles from north to south and live miles wide
from east to west in the main part of its territory, following the meander-
ings of Skunk river in the southwest.
]t is largely a prairie section, aside from the large body of timber found
growing three miles or so to the south of Newton, known as Hixon's Grove,
and that growing along the valley of the Skunk river.
The Newton & Marion railroad runs through this township from north
to south, with siding station points at various points and at Reasoner.
The earliest entries of government land were made as follows : William
Hanshaw. on the northeast quarter of the northeast cjuarter of section 4,
November 29. 1847; Thomas Rees, the southeast cpiarter of the southeast
(juarter of section 15. Januarv 3, 1848.
J^alo Alto township had a population of one thousand ninety-six in 1905,
according to the state census.
The township was organized in the spring of 1857 by the county judge.
His order for the formation of a new township reads as follows : "Commenc-
ing at the quarter section stake on the east side of section 12, township 79,
range 19 west; thence west on the line through the center of the section to
the quarter section stake on the west side of section 12, township 79, range 20
west; thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of section 36,
said township and range: thence east to the township line to the northwest
corner of section 4, township yS, range 19; thence south to the southwest cor-
ner of said section; thence east to the southeast corner of section i, same
township and range; then north with the range line to the place of beginning."
The above was the original territory of Palo Alto township which was
named for the Mexican name, which had been made famous by the war with
Mexico alxnit the date of the formation of this sub-division of Jasper county.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 343
THE BEGINNINGS IN I'ALO ALTO.
'J'homas Rees and family were the tirst to estal)lish lor themselves a
home in what is now known as Palo Alto township. Mr. Rees located on
section 22, township 79. range 19 west, in November, 1848. Xut until four
years had passed — long ones too — did they enjoy the society of a neighbor
nearer than four miles distant. Months at a time ]\irs. Rees never saw the
face and form of a woman, except the dusky Jndian women. They were on
good terms with the Indians and frequently the latter were entertained and
even allowed to sleep in the house in bad weather and enjoy the huge fireplace
and crackling fire, always at a bright glow.
]n the simimer of 1852 Shelby Baker came in and located; later still
came a man named Finwick. Joshua Guessford, Jacob and George Elmanty,
E. B. Sloan, Wesley W'atkins, and Wakefield Trotter came in 1854 to in-
crease the little settlement in the wilds of the township. In 1856 came David
D. Prior, Joel Guessford, Stephen Guessford, Allen T. Drake, James Early,
Riley Ashley and LeRoy Livingston. In i860 the township had a population
of not far from five hundred.
The first wedding was over the marriage of Henry Adamson and Mary
Jane Baker, February 10, 1853. The shoes worn by the bride were borrowed
from Mrs. Rees (shoes were scarce articles then in this township).
I'he first birth in the township is supposed to have been a daughter born
to Thomas and Mary A. Rees. March 25, 1849.
The first death recorded was an infant son of the same family, July 26,
1854.
School No. I in the townsliip was taught as a subscription school, in
1857. Hattie Bain was the teacher. The first public school was taught in the
Wild Cat school house by Miss Eliza Henderson in the summer of 1858.
The first religious ser\'ice was held by Rev. Thomas Merrill and Rev.
Ami Shaffer, who conducted serxices at the school house last mentioned.
Palo Alto township sent forth twenty soldiers to the front during the
days of the Civil war, a good record of patriotism.
INTERESTING PARAGRAPHS.
National Independence Day was celebrated in this township July 4, 1874.
at or near the Presbyterian church in the native grove. An oration was lis-
tened to by Hon. John Meyer, and responses to toasts by Capt. M. W. Atwood.
Samuel Reasoner. William Brown, Rev. E. S. McMichael, Miss S. E. Hill
and W. A. Li\ingston.
:^44 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
By reference to the records of the county, made in 1878, it will be dis-
covered that the total amount of personal taxes paid from this township in
1878 (for the previous year's taxes) was $69,193, including the items of 710
head of horses, 44 mules and 1.556 head of taxable cattle.
The total of personal and realty property taxes was $6,112, on a Aalua-
tion of $318,467 in the township. Compare this with a table found in the
chapter on County Government and see how the township has advanced finan-
cially.
Quite a portion of this township is underlaid with paying quantities of
an excellent coal which is being mined to a good profit to its owners. The
chapter on the topography and natural features of the county will speak more
at length of these mining interests.
THE TOWN OF REASONER.
Reasoner is a small village on the Xewton & Marion railroad in the
southern part of Palo Alto township, twelve miles due south of Newton. It
takes its name from several large land-owners by that name in that immediate
vicinity. Its plat was surveyed in the summer of 1877.
James Allen had constructed a building there before the town site stakes
had been set. A dozen buildings sprung up as if by magic and two grain
elevators, one by Arnold & Johnson and one by Mr. Adamson. Two general
stores were at once opened up for trade and the station agent, James Allen,
was the first to serve as postmaster. This place is in the heart of the coal
district of Jasper county, yet surrounded by a rich agricultural country.
PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS.
In the month of April, 191 1, the following persons carried on their
respective business in Reasoner :
General Dealers — Hinshaw & Saunders, J. W. Edwards and F. J. Coffee.
Meat Market and Lunch Room — B. R. Cardon.
Hardware Dealer — Frank B. Ross.
Farm Implements — Reasoner Implement Company.
Drugs— C. B. Walsh.
Lumber and Grain — Denniston & Partridge.
Elevator, Poultry and Hogs — E. Bean.
Blacksmith — J. M. Carnahan.
Barber — Will Wasson.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 345
Boarding House — 'Sirs. Andrew French.
Stock Dealers — Coker & Warring.
Justice of the Peace — Charles Saunders.
Reasoner Savings Bank.
Reasoner Mutual Telephone Company.
The town has one of the finest mineral water flowing wells in the countv,
it gushing out near the center of the business part of the place.
The religious element is cared for by the Methodist Episcopal church.
\\hich denomination has a good frame building.
POSTOFFICE HI.STORY.
An office was established here about 1879. In February, 1904, it was
made a rural route station. The present carrier is J. E. Sipe.
Outside of the money order business, the receipts of the office in 1910
was six hundred and sixty-five dollars and eighty-five cents. There were
during the same period sent out sixty-two pieces of registered mail matter.
Two mails are received each way daily, north and south.
The following is a complete list of postmasters at Reasoner : James
Allen, J. F. Wheeler, Will Caldwell, J. W. Edwards, 1894-97; James F Wil-
son, 1897-1907; (Miss) Mary J. Wilson, 1907-07; (Miss) Fern Bean. 1908
and the present postmistress.
CHAPTER XXXIW
NEWTON TOWNSHIP.
Xewton township, in wliich the city of the same name is situated, is al^out
in the geographical center of the county, and as now constituted comprises
twenty-four sections of congressional township 80, range 19 west. At its
north is found JMalaka township, on its east is Kellogg, on the south is Palo
Alto township and on the west is Sherman township. Cherry creek and
smaller streams drain and water this part of the county. There are beautiful
groves of native timber, once heavy, large forest trees in the west and north-
western part of Xewton township, l)ut much has been cut off with the passing
of years and the development of the county.
N^ewton was organized in 185 1 by County Judge Jesse Rickman, who de-
cided the boundaries of Xlewton township should be as follows : "Commenc-
ing at the northeast corner of township 81, range 18 west, and run twelve
miles west to the northwest corner of township 81, range 19; thence south six
miles to the southwest corner of said township and range; thence west two
miles to the northwest corner of section 2, township 80, range 20; thence
south to Skunk ri\er; thence east to the range line 18; thence north to the
place of beginning."
It will be seen that originally this township took in much more than its
present territory, including Kellogg township of today. In 1857 it took its
present form and size.
The population of this township, outside of the city of X^ewton, in 1905.
when the state census was taken, was nine hundred and two.
At the presidential election in 1852, when (ien. Winfield Scott and
l">anklin Pierce ran for the presidency, Xewton township ga\"e the former
sixty-eight votes and the latter tliirty-two \-otes.
In April, 1855, in voting on the prohibition cpiestion, this township
gave the measure of prohibition one hundred and eighty-eight votes and fifty-
three against the measure.
In 1878 the records show that there was personal propertv valued at
$22,308 in Newton township, outside the city. This included 324 head of
hor.ses, 1 1 mules and 274 head of cattle of taxable age.
JASlMiK COUNTY. IOWA. 347
At the above date the total valuation of property in the township was
$252,425, on which was paid a total tax of $4,559.46.
For the first five or six years the history of Newton t<jwnsliip is partly
summed up by the following extracts from the records now on file :
1848 — The record for this year shows that William \[. Springer was
sworn in as township clerk, by T. J. Adamson, a justice of the peace. William
C. Smith was school inspector. The township trustees were Charles C. Thorp,
Ballinger Aydellotte and Henry Hammer. In .\pril the same year, Lewis
Herron and James Pearsons qualified as fence viewers and o\erseers of the
poor. In June, Moses Lacy was appointed constable, while in August, Hart
Spring was made another constable for Newton township.
1849 — '^ he trustees were Evan Adamson, Seth Hammer and John B.
Hammack. It was during that year that the township was divided into four
road districts.
1850 — The trustees ordered twenty-eight dollars and twenty-five cents
to be paid for "the l^enefit of John Sewell." On March 30th the order read to
"call out all the 'respectful' hands in the road districts, and open up the county
road laid from Newton to the Marion county line, in the direction of Red
Rock."
1852 — Joseph Dodd and J. N. Edgar were elected justices of the peace;
Jesse Hammer and T. J. Densmore, constables.
1853 — Tliree new road districts were established in this township. At
the April election were elected Edwin White, Ezekiel Shipley and T. J.
Allen as trustees. W. M. Springer was clerk and Lawson D. Sims, assessor.
1856 — The sum of fifty-one dollars was voted to defray the sick and
burial charges of Mary Jane ]\IcConkey, a pauper. William R. Davis was
assessor that vear. The same year ten dollars was allowed for defraying the
expense of caring for Mary Johnson, a pauper, and a like amount for a ''sick
man."
The history of the city of Newton appears elsewhere in this work, it
being given a chapter by itself.
CHAPTER XXXV.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Washington township, on the western border of Jasper county, the
second from the south Hne, comprises nearly all of congressional township 79,
range 21 west, and about two sections in its northwestern corner belonging"
in township 80 of the same range. Its total territory is about thirty-six sec-
tions. The South Skunk river forms its northern border line. It is bounded
on the west by Polk county, on the north by Poweshiek township, on the
east by Mound Prairie and on the south by Des Moines township.
The Rock Island railroad crosses the township from east to west, enter-
ing the township on section i and leaving it from section 7.
The old Des Moines Valley line (Des Moines & Keokuk railroad) passes
through the southwestern portion of the township, traversing secions 18. 19,
20, 21. 27, 28. 34 and 35, with a station at Prairie City on section 36 of Des
Moines township.
Squaw Creek and lesser streams, all flowing into the South Skunk river,
are the streams of the township. Watkins creek takes its rise in section 20,
of Washington township, and flows to the southeast. This is a prairie town-
ship for the most part.
In the \icinity of Colfax the bituminous coal industry has come to be
one of much magnitude in recent years.
The only town or city within the township is Colfax, mentioned at
length in this chapter.
The population of the townshij) in 1905, according to the state census,
was eight hundred and fifty-two outside the city of Colfax, which had at that
date about 2,600.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
Washington township was organized at the June session of the board of
county supervisors, in 1861, upon a petition presented by the citizens of
Mound Prairie township. The record of such proceedings reads as follows:
"Commencing at the northwest corner of section i, township 79 north, range
21 west, and running thence south on the line dividing sections i, 2, 11, 12,
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 349
I3> M. ~3> -4, -5. ^^)^ 35. 36 until it strikes the southwest corner of section
36, in the same township and range, so that all west of said division line may
constitute and become a new township for voting and school purposes, and to
do and to transact all other business as required by law in such case.''
The first polling place for holding elections was fixed by the lx)ard as at
the Tyler school house.
In 1877 the township paid a total tax of $6,351. on an assessed valuation
of $412,348.
In 1878 the abstract of assessment shows that the personal tax at that
period was $58,105, including the items of 615 head of horses. 33 head of
mules and 1,570 head of taxable cattle. These figures, compared with those
found in the chapter on County Government, for the various townships in 19 10
will show the progress and growth made by this township.
For the educational interests, as well as the church and lodge historv of
the townshij), the reader is referred to such topics found in the general chap-
ters under proper index headings.
THE CITY OF COLFAX.
Colfax is known, far and near, as "Spring City," owing to its numerous
mineral springs, which are of great medicinal \irtue in the treatment of many
diseases. It is situated on high rolling land for the most part and has many
fine building sites and beautiful, well improved homes. Its abundant supply
ol excellent water, taken from the gravelly springs, affords one of the most
delightful and healthful places in all Iowa. Its beautiful groves of native
timber, its large hotels and charming pul)lic park-grounds calls thousands
here annually, for both pleasure and health. They come from all the states in
the Union.
Its churches and schools are something to l^e proud of. The denomina-
tions having comfortable, though not extravagant, edifices, are the Metho-
di.st Episcopal, Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian. Catholic and Christian
Science.
The public school buildings — two large, fine, modern brick structures —
are centrallv located. The older was erected in 1896 and the last one in 191 1.
For more detailed account of churches and schools the reader is referred to
chapters on these special topics elsewhere in this volume. For the history of
the ^lasonic. Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias orders, see Civic Society
chapter.
-^;0 JASl'EK COrXTV, IOWA.
Colfax, named in honor of Hon. Schuyler Colfax, X'ice-President with
President Grant during his first term, is situated in section i of Washington
civil township and near the edge of the Ijotloiii land through which meanders
the waters of the Skunk river. It was platted in 1866 by A. Kimball, almost
one vear before the completion of the Rock Island railroad through Jasper
county. In the autumn of 1866 Xew ton & Richey started in the dry goods
trade at this point, while West tS: Kennedy opened a good sized general mer-
chandise store. Mr. i^arker opened the hrst grocery store in the place. In 1867
Dr. j. G. Ryan established himself in the drug business. Such was the be-
ginning at Colfax which for many years has been well advertised and widely
known as one of the fine towns of which Iowa may well boast of many,
where business, society, health-giving mineral waters and harmony prevail as
elements sought by those desiding to lead a quiet life. It will be remembered
that Colfax is but a short run on the steam or electric cars to Des ]\Ioines,
hence the place is well patronized as a summer resort, owing largely to the
surroundings and the fine spring water, w ith ample hotel accommodations.
It is a first class market point for a large and wealthy farming section. But
perliaps its greatest natural advantage is derived from its famous springs and
ihe numercjus hotels and sanitariums using the medicinal waters which gush
from the lx)wels of the earth at different points in and near the city proper.
The town was started solely as a railroad station of the ordinary charac-
ter, but in the autumn of 1875 ^ mineral spring was happily discovered and
samples of it were sent to James H. Blaney, a celebrated cliemist of Chicago,
who after testing its cpialities, declared that it contained chloride of sodium,
sulj)hate of .soda, sulphate of potassa, sulphate of lime, sulphate of magnesia,
bicarbonate of magnesia, bicarbonate of iron, alumina, silica, and only a small
per cent, of organic matter.
It should be recorded that here, as in most cases, great things are the work
of accident, for the water found to be of so much \alue to the public at Colfax
was discovered by a firm wh(j were boring for coal, and found the flow of
water greatly hindering them, and while working the uneducated workmen
(|uenched their thirst from this water and pronounced it fine water and the
attention was called to it by others who l)elieved it more than common spring
water. Invalids .soon ])tgan to seek it and finally a hotel had to lie erected to
provide entertainment. It was not long before the medicinal qualities of this
water attracted large numbers from far and near and the name of "Colfax
Springs" and "Colfax Water" was known from one end of the land to the
other. A hotel was erected for the accommodation of gue.sts and in\alids in
1876 and in January, 1877, a three-story building was erected by Messrs.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 35!
Dixon, Leighton & Gray, which was thirty-six feet by one hundred and fifteen
feet in size. The main springs are a mile to the east of the city, proper, and
there are a number of hotels both there and in the city, all having mineral
water connected therewith. In the summer of 1901 there were seven hotels in
Colfax and all well filled with people afflicted with various diseases, including
rheumatism, dyspepsia. Bright's disease and other kidney complaints and
digestive derangements. Immense amounts of this water are shipped to all
parts of the United States in botdes. jars and casks. This is carried on largely
by three bottling works which carfcyonate the water for shipping purposes. Two
large coal companies have their headquarters in Colfax and their pav rolls are
of great value, commercially, to the city.
Another feature by which the city is known is its beautiful Chautauqua
grounds, the Epworth League Park, that is situated but a short distance from
the eastern city limits. Here are assembled immense throngs with the return
of each season to li.sten to the best talent in the country.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
Colfax was incorporated as a town and its first council met September 9,
1873. when J. R. Rodgers took the oath as its first mayor; J. T. West its re-
corder; R. Price. R. F. Fullington. William Kelsey. John Logston and W. L.
West its trustees; M. B. Coe. assessor. The town's first marshal was H.
Sumpter.
The first year's receipts in the incorporation was one hundred and fifty-
four dollars ; disbursements, one hundred and three dollars and twenty-five
cents. It became a ""city" in February, 1901. and contains one square mile of
territory.
The following have served Colfax as mayors: J- R. Rodgers. 1875-6;
P. H. Cragan, 1877; L. J. Labour. 1878; T. J. Doane. 1879; M. P. Doud,
1880; B. F. Sanders, 1881 : H. L. Weston. 1882; F. W. Carey. 1883 to 1886;
J. A. Mattern. 1886: W. T. Dart. 1887; H. L. Weston. 1888; ]. A. Mattern.
1889 to 1892; G. M. Tripp. 1892; W. M. Croft. 1893; J. A. Mattern. 1894:
P. H. Cragan. 1895; ^V. M. Croft, 1896; G. M. Tripp. 1897; P. H. Cragan.
1898 to 1901 ; J. B. Weaver. 1901 : J. H. Hahn. 1903 to 1909; M. E. Penquite.
1909. and is now on his second term.
The present officers are: M. F. Penquite. mayor: W. S. Cutler, clerk;
F. E. Kendig. chief of police; O. Morgan, deputy police; J. E. Penquite.
water and street commissioner: Harry Xoble was elected treasurer, but on
account of leaving for another state, the council elected another in his stead
T^z^2 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
in the month of May. The present ( 191 1 ) council is as follows: Ray Lyons,
N. T. Weston, J. H. Hahn, F. L. Evans, C. J. Burnett. The city assessor is
\V. B. Wells.
In the last two or three years the city has taken up the important matter
of paving and sewerage. It now has eight miles and more of cement walks
and is in all ways coming to the front as a small city. It has more than two
thousand dollars invested in a public library and its furniture. It had in 1910
three and one-half miles of water mains, forty-three hydrants and many other
les.ser improvements.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire department is such as is usually found in towns and cities of
this class in Iowa. It is provided with hose carts, hook-and-ladder appliances,
engines, etc.. and is manned by a volunteer fire company.
WATER WORKS.
The city is possessed of a most excellent water works system. It derives
its water supply from a series of springs seated within a bed of gravel, and
the purity of the water thus obtained is appreciated by the populace and by
the stranger within the gates of the city. It is forced to the high water tower
and tank on a very high eminence to the east of the city, proper, by means of
steam pumps. The direct pressure from this elevated tank gives one hundred
and twenty pounds down in the business center of the place — ample for all
fire protection. The water rates are from ten to thirty cents per thousand
feet. The water works fund is sustained by a five mill tax annually. These
water works are valued at twenty-five thousand dollars.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY,
The history of the Colfax postofiice dates from the construction of the
railroad through the place. Its earliest histor}' seems a little obscure in the
minds of the present-day residents of the city. Among the postmasters who
have served here are well remembered the following : William \\' est, "Vance"
Wilson, Jacob F. Weaver, Adella V. Weaver, J. M. Topper, H. W. Robinson,
and the present incumbent, W. W, Hawk, who was commissioned in 1908,
In 1910 it was made a second-class office, having passed the eight thou-
sand dollar mark of business transacted annually. It has two rural routes
extending out from Colfax.
JASPER COUXTY. lUWA. 353
FIRST IMPORTANT EVENTS.
In the month of August, 187O, the town was provided with a suitable
calaboose and about the same date the town voted on the saloon license ques-
tion and it resulted in thirty-ti\e votes l>eing cast for license and thirty-two
against it.
The independent school district of Colfax was organized in 1876 (see
Educational chapter).
The first religious society to organize in Colfax was the Presbyterian
body: their first action was taken April 6, 1868, and a church was erected in
1868 at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars.
A steam flouring mill was built here about 1877 and this drew trade
from a large farming community.
BUSINESS INTERESTS OF I9IO-I9II.
It will be interesting in future years to look back to this page and note
who was engaged in the various business and professional callings in Colfax
in the years in which this history is being compiled. The list is as follows :
Agricultural Implements — Lovolleus & DeLong. A. A. Penquite Hard-
ware Company.
Banks — Citizens' State, First National.
Blacksmiths— Ball & Hibbs, D. D. Briggs.
Books and Stationery — H. ^\^ Wood.
Boots and Shoes — H. E. Gould & Company.
Brick & Tile Co. — Colfax Brickyard Company.
llothing — The Bargain Store, Davis & Davis. H. E. Gould. i
Dentists— F. G. Blake, \\'. P. Cain.
Drugg-ists — F. A. ^larquis, C. G. W'eirick. H. A. W'eirick. X. T. Weston.
Dry Goods — Colfax Mercantile Company.
F'lour and Feed — S. H. Dunton. James E. Goodman.
I-'urniture — The Forsythe Hardware Company, .\. A. Penquite Hard-
ware Company.
General Dealers — Ed. Bellehoefer. Colfax Mercantile Company, W. E.
Fenner.
Grain Dealer — S. M. Brown & Son.
Groceries — W. L. Porter, C. E. Sullenl^erger, Walter Thompson, George
H. York and Luther Brothers.
(23)
354 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Hardware — A. A. Penquite Hardware Company, Forsythe Hardware
Company.
Hotels — European, Grand Hotel, Colfax, Mason House, Mills House,
Oriental, Victoria, Sanatorium House.
Tee Dealer — Cieorge ]Myers.
jewelry — \\\ S. Johnson, H. W. Wood.
Laundry — Colfax Steam Laundry.
Lawyers — P. K. Johannsen, James B. Weaver, Trip & Trip and Cragan
Brothers.
Live Stock — George \V. Kintz.
Livery — Main & Robinson, C. C. Plummer, Star Livery.
Lumber — S. M. Brown & Son, Colfax Lumber Company.
!Meats — Colfax Mercantile Company, Sharp & Tespstra.
Millinery — Miss K. G. Mahoney. Miss Emma Wheeler.
Newspapers — Colfa^v Tribune, Baptist Messenger (monthly) and the
Clipper.
Photographs — Robert Dawson.
Physicians — Drs. R. G. Anspach, Frank E. Boyd, T. A. Burke. J. C.
Corselius, Alex. Hall. W. W. Hawk. M. AL Knowles, F. W. Stewart, J. E.
Traister, Alice Turner, L. C. S. Turner, H. A. Weirick, N. T. Weston.
Sanitariums — The Centropolis, Grand Hotel and Mineral Springs, Vic-
toria, and Rest House.
L'ndertakers — W. S. Cutler & Company.
Colfax, in no large sense, can be styled a factory town. It has, how-
ever, three extensive bottling works which sterilize the mineral spring waters
and ship in all sorts of ])ackages to distant points in the United States. These
concerns work full time and usually ship a carload apiece each twenty-four
hours.
The electric light plant has long been in operation. It is owned by pri-
\ate individuals and beautifully illuminates the city and environments.
The latest industry in Colfax is one of its best in many ways, for it has
established a factory the product of which will certainly be in great demand
as the years come and go. This is the plant that manufactures the "Close
To Nature" incubator and brooder and kindred goods employed in the arti-
ficial hatching of chickens and the care of the same. Its factory is near the
depots and is good sized and well regulated. It has its base in the invention
patented by its manager, W. H. IVIonroe, who several years since invented a
line of devices for the purposes already stated and then formed a stock com-
pany of chiefly Colfax men. It is known as the "Close To Nature" Manu-
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 355
facturing Company. In the incubator which they make warm water is em-
ployed for heating the machine. They also manufacture an improved "green
feed" producer, by which green wheat, oats, corn, etc., may be (juicklv brought
forth in mid-winter and early spring for feeding poultry. These goods find
ready sale in all sections of the United States and the enterprise is constantlv
spreading out w ith its increase of orders.
LllAiTKR XXXVl.
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP.
Sherman township, in the northwestern quarter of Jasper cuunty, is lo-
cated to the south of Intlependence township, to the west of Malaka, Newton
and Palo Alto townships, to the north of Mound Prairie and Fairview town-
ships and east of P'oweshiek township. For the most part the western border
line is the meanderings of Indian creek, a branch of the Skunk river, which
also forms the southwestern line of the township, thus making the township
one of wedge shape. It contains about forty sections of land. This town-
ship is somewhat broken, with numerous small creeks and a lake within
its borders. The natural groves are confined to the banks of these streams.
Highways run on almost all section lines, however, and the township is one
of much value, lying near to the county seat as it does. There are no towns or
\illages \\ ithin its borders.
It has an excellent lot of common schools and as these are included in
the Educational chapter they need not here be referred to.
One of the earliest land entries in this township is shown by the public
records to have been Samuel K. Parker, in the northwest quarter of the
southeast cpiarter of section 32. on June 14, 1849; ^^ iHiam Rickey, in the
northwest quarter of section 20, on Alay 15, 1849.
Much of the land in this townshij) is underlaid with a good grade of
bituminous coal, which has l)een nu'ned in paying quantities for many
years.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad crosses the southern point
of this township from east to west, the mileage in the same being about four
miles.
ORG.XNIZATION, ETC.
Sherman to\\nshi[) was organized in 1868.
According to the state census reports of 1903. tlie population of Sherman
township was five hundred and seventy-fi\'c.
As far back as 1877 ^^""6 total valuation of i)roi)erty in this township
amounted to $359,326, on which the people owning it paid into the county
treasury the sum of $5,475.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 357
In 1878 the personal tax was levied upon property valued at %y^Xy22, in-
clusive of 793 head of horses. 29 mules and asses and 1.785 head of taxable
cattle. By comparing these figures with those contained in the item of town-
shi]) \aluations, found in the County Ciovernment chapter of this volume, the
reader will note the advancement in the last quarter of a century of the town-
ship's history.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Clear Creek township is situated in the extreme northwestern part of
Jasper county, bounded on the north by Story county, on the east by Inde-
pendence township, on the south by Poweshiek township, on the west by
Polk county. It is six miles square and comprises congressional township
8i, range 21 west. It was organized by order of the county board in the
month of August. 1849, ^^^ ^^'^-'^ described later as it now stands.
Indian creek courses through this township on its southeastern course,
and together with its tributaries drains and waters the township well. Con-
siderable nati\e timber is found in this portion of Jasper county. In 1905
the state census gave this township a population of seven hundred and eighty-
seven. *Its schools and churches will be treated in the general chapters on
such topics. Among the first to take up government land in this township
were jose])h Kintz. two tracts in sections 24, 25 and 26, July 2, 1849; Adam
W. Alaggart in section 25, July 9, 1849.
The school fund apportionment for this township in 185 1 was nineteen
dollars and ninety-seven cents. At the presidential election in 1856 General
Winfield .Scott received nine votes and Franklin Pierce twenty-three votes
in this township.
In April. 1855. the people of Jasper county voted on the ever-present
intoxicating li(|uor problem and in this township the vote stood eleven for
and forty-eight against the measure.
In t8-8 the records show that there was a total assessment on personal
property in this township amounting to $61,206. This included the 615
horses. 30 mules and 1.388 head of cattle in the township.
The tax levy for 1877 shows this township to have had a total valuation
of property of $249,980 and on this they paid into the county treasury the
sum of $3,757.26.
THE VIEL.XGE OF CLYDE.
This litde hamlet was for many years a useful adjunct to the people of
this township. It is situated on section u of a small branch of Indian creek,
less than two miles from the north line of the county. It is al)out fifteen
miles from Newton and twelve from Colfax, while it is but twelve miles south
of Colo. Story county.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 359
Maxwell & Company started a general store here in 1868; in the autumn
of 1874 the Methodist Episcopal denomination erected a church here at a
cost of two thousand five hundred dollars. In 1878 the hamlet had a dry
goods store and three shops, with about fifteen or twenty dwelling houses.
It was at this point in February, 1875. that during a fearful storm, the
residence of Charles B. Maxwell caught fire and was totally destroyed, caus-
ing a loss of four tliousand four hundred dollars, one half of which was
covered by insurance. Clyde is still only a small trading point.
CHAPTKR XXXVJ]!.
:miscklLam-:()L"s ite:ms.
Within this chapter will be found many interestin"-. valuable accounts
of the doings of men and \\H)men who have participated in the development
of Jasper countv. from its earliest settlement to this date. The editors have
sought to publish ()n]\ tliat which is l)elie\e(l to lie accin-ate. and as such it
will be valuable to the reader of local history.
\1LI.AGE PLATS OF TTIE COUNTY.
The following is believed to be an account of the plattings of all of the
villages, towns and cities within Jasper county up to May, 191 1. Only the
'"originals" are here named :
Amboy. i)latte(l January. 1872. by David B. Gotschall and wife on the
west half of the southwest quarter of section 17, township 80, range 18. The
Rock Island road runs through this village plat. It is in Kellogg civil tow'n-
ship.
Baxter, platted October 24, 1883. on the southwest quarter of the north-
west quarter of section 14, township 81. range 20, by David ^^^ and Amy
Smith. It is situated in Independence ci\il township and is a station point
on the (ireat Western railroad.
Colfax was platted by Abel Kimball, of Scott coimty. Iowa, on the
north half of the scnithwest (juarter of section 1. township 79. range 21, in
July. 1867.
Clyde was platted Septeml^er 18, 1857, on the northeast ((uarter of the
southwest quarter of .section ii. township 81. range 21, by V. M. Heller and
Joseph West and their wives.
b^arniersN-illc was ])latted by Anderson X'owcll and wife, Lettv. in Maw
1876. on the southwest (|uartei' of the northwest (|uarter of section 12, town-
shi]) 79, range 20.
b^airmount — Xo record of brst platting. Boles addition \\as made
March 21, 1876. This is a station jioint on the old Des Moines \'alle\' rail-
road (now Keokuk & Des Moines), l)etween Prairie City and Monroe.
Greencastle. on section 14, township 80, range 21. was i)latted bv .\ll)ert
Sbi])p and wife. August 30, 1855. This plat is situated in Poweshiek civil
township, southeast from Mingo.
JASPER GOLNTV, IOWA. 361
Galeshurg. on section i6. townshij) 78. ran.qe 18. was platted by William
Burton and wife. August 22, 1855. and is situated in Elk Creek township.
Ira. which was platted as "Millard" originally. December 3. 1883. bv
William F. Rippey and wife, is on section 32. townshij) 81, range 20. It is
situated within Independence civil township.
Jasper City (now Kellogg) was platted on section 26. township 80.
range 18. Sei)tenil)er 12. 1863. by Imios Blair and Absalom Adair and their
wi\es. It is in Kellogg civil township.
Kellogg (first known as Jasper City) was incorporated August 12. 1873.
after which it took the name Kellogg.
Killduff was platted January 5. 1884. l)y Timothy Killduff and wife, on
the east half of the southeast (|uarter and east third of the west lialf of the
southeast quarter of section 35, township 79, range 18. Februarv 21, 1883.
Lynnville was platted July 23. 1856. by John and ^fary .\rnold. on the
northwest fpiarter of the northeast quarter of section 11. town.ship 78. range
17, and is witlun the ci\il township of L}nn Grox'e.
Monroe was j)latted December 18. 1856. on the northwest (piarter of
section 31. townshij) j?^, range 19, by Daniel Hiskey and wife. This is within
the ci\il township of Fairview.
Mingo was jjlatted May ij. 1884. on the northeast half of the south-
west quarter of section 3. townshij) 80. range 21. by Thomas A. and Da\id
Baker and is w ithin the trritory of Poweshiek townshij).
Metz was j)latted Julv 2^:^. 1883, on the southeast (piarter of the north-
east cjuarter of section it. townshij) 79. range 20. b\ William Hitchler and
is within Mound Prairie township.
Xewburg was j)latted Sei)tember 30. 1878. on the east half of the north-
east cjuarter of the northwest (juarter of section 24. townshij) 81. range 17.
by Horace and Margaret Palmer, in Hickory drove civil township.
Xewton (original) was j)latted by the county commissioners of "Jasj)er
county. Territory of Iowa." July 7. 1846.
Prairie Citv (first called Flliott) was platted June 7. 1856. by James
Elliott and wife, on section 2. township yd', range 21. This is in De> Moines
township and a j)art runs over into Washington tow nshij).
Rushville, in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 9.
townshij) 80. range 18. was j)latted by Jesse and Jane Young. March 24. 1857.
and is situated in Kellogg civil township.
Reasoner was i)latted August. 1877. l)y Samuel and Mary Reasoner. on
the northeast (juarter of section 10. township 78. range 19. and is situated in
Palo Alto ci\il townshij).
^02 JASPER COUNJV. IOWA.
Sully was platted on the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of
section 8. township 78, range 17. August 3, 1882, by Robert Ryan, trustee.
This is in Lynn Grove civil township.
Tools Point was platted and filed for record May 13, 1850, by pioneer
Adam Tool, on the southwest quarter of section 31, township 70. range 19.
Turner was platted April 19, 1899, on the northeast quarter of the north-
west quarter of section 34, township 80, range 17. and is within Rock Creek
civil township.
X^andalia was platted on section 36, township 78, range 18. by josei)h W.
Buffington. Februaiy 25, 1853.
Valeria was platted October 24, 1883, by N. W. Johnson and wife, on
section 20, township 80, range 21. in Poweshiek civil township.
Wittemberg was platted by John Carey, president; T. Failor, secre-
tarv of the Wittenil>erg IManual Labor College, on the east half of section 3.
township 80. range 19, Decemlier 15, 1856, and the same was recorded Janu-
arv 12. 1858. This was in Newton civil township. It was vacated in 1878
and in 1890.
•Another village was platted at Oswalt, in Poweshiek township, but little,
save a railway station has ever been built there. It is midway between Col-
fax and \'aleria, on the Colfax & Northern railroad, in Poweshiek townshi]).
CALIFORNIA GOLD SEEKERS.
During the great California gold fe\er days, and in 1850, Jasper county
was caught, as was many another Iowa county. A party was formed in-
cluding the following gentlemen : David and William Edmundson, John E.
Copp and son, Nathan Williams, William Smith, Curtis Dooley, Jesse Wilton
and Peter Miller. Williams and Miller died in California. Dooley returned
and a few years later went to Oregon. This party crossed the great plains,
then styled the "Great American Desert." As a rule none were but little
more advanced, financially, when they returned than when they left Iowa.
Some, however, did (|uite well.
EARLY ST.VGE ROADS.
In h'cbruary, 1847, ^^'^ '^^t was approved by the Iowa Legislature, by
which E. G. Hanfield, of Marion county, and Rufus Williams and Joab Ben-
nett, of Jasper county, were authorized to lay off a road known as the "State
Road," commencing at Knoxville, and running by Red Rock to Newton.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 363
These men were to meet thirty days later and have their expenses all paid
jointly by the two counties.
On the 1 2th of the same month Edward , of Iowa, Nathan Will-
iams of Jasper, and A. D. Jones, of Polk counties, were appointed to es-
tablish a road, beginning at James McCrea's in township 79, range 6, and
running by the way of Newton and Fort Des Moines to the county seat of
Dallas county, Iowa.
Provisions were also made for running a road from Iowa City, bv the
way of Marengo, to Newton, David Edmundson being the locating commis-
sioner.
February 18, 1847, ^lanly Gifford, of Jasper. John Hamilton, of Marion,
and Thomas H. Napier, of Polk county, were appointed to lay out a state
road from Lake Prairie, in ]Marion county, to Fort Des Moines, running on
the north side of the Des Moines river. These commissioners were recjuired
to meet l:>efore September of that year, to execute their duties.
Joint resolution No. 9. of the first General Assembly, calls for the rep-
resentatives in Congress to use their influence to obtain the establishment of
a mail route from Iowa City, by the way of Newton, to Fort Des Moines, and
to secure the establishment of a postoffice at Newton City. Resolution No.
12 called for the representatives in Congress to use their best exertions to
obtain an appropriation for the establisliment of a military road from Iowa
City to Fort Des Moines, and from thence on to the Missouri river. The
preamble states that the route would conduce greatly to the public interest, and
that, passing through a region remote from the navigable waters of any
stream, it would thereby tend to facilitate the sale of large tracts of the public
domain, which would otherwise remain unsettled for a long time.
MARRIAGE RECORD.
As long as people "are married and given in marriage"' in this world,
if not in the world to come, it may be of some interest to the reader of this
historic volume to know something of the first and subsequent marriages in
Jasper county, as discovered in the records of the county.
It appears of record that the first marriage in the county was that which
united Sergt. James Hill. United States Army, of Fort Des 2^Ioines. and the
bride. Miss Susan A. Tool, daughter of the first pioneer in this county. This
marriaee is not recorded here, but in Marion countv. as this dates back earlier
than the organization of this county. The marriage was performed in the
-^(34 lASl'ER COUNTY, IOWA.
niunth of l-'ehrnary. 1845. the ceremony being pertonned 1)y Re\-. Pardoe, an
illiterate minister who had frequently preached as a missionary to Keokuk
and his tribe.
It is related of this eccentric minister, that he talked to the Indians and
told them that if they loved to do right and believed in the word of life, that
when thev died thev would go to a land "flowing with milk and honey."
whereupon old chief Keokuk replied that he would much prefer to have it
whisky and corn !
The first entrv found in tlie jasper county marriage register reads
tlui> :
"The L'nited States of America. Greeting: This may certify that James
F. Xew has presented the [evidence] of being a regularly licensed minister
of the gospel, in connection with the ^lethodist Episcopal church; therefore,
know ve that the said James F. Xew is hereby authorized to solemnize the
rites of matrimonv in said county so long as he maintains his standing in said
church, and no longer.
"In testimon\ whereof. I ha\c hereunto set m\' hand and affixed the
seal (jf said court, at Monroe, this 4th da\- of Deceml)er. A. D. 1846.
"Peter Mileer. Clerk."
The credentials of l-'dder Claiborne Hall, a minister of the Christian
church, were recorded in 1849. and also the credentials of Rev. John Crill
and R. H. Brooks, preachers of the Methodist church.
X^o marriages prior to 1849 are to be found recorded. Those consum-
mated during that \ear were: Jesse Hammer and ^Margaret Sparks, by Rev.
J. I"". Xew: .\lexander McCollum and Amanda Tice. by Elder Hall; Alex-
ander Davis and Mrs. Mercy Shoemake. bv Jabez Starr, justice of the peace:
Jacob Trulinger and Mrs. Catherine W'enn. b\- !>. 1". P)ro(l}'. justice of the
l)eace.
From January, 1870. to January. 1879. there were 990 marriages re-
corded in the county's books in the clerk's office; from 1880 to January. 1890.
the marriages numbered j.ooi in the ten-year ])eriod : frcjm 1890 to 1898 the
number was 1.832: froiu J898 to 1907. the total was -'.392 for the decade, an
average of 236 annually. From 1907 to January i. 191 1, the numl)er of
marriages was 680. This makes a grand total of 7,895 since January i,
1 870. forty years.
.|Asn:u ^.()L^l^. iowa. 365
IXTOXlCATIXC l-IyrORS, I'KOIIiniTlOX, KTC.
l-'roiii the cavlicsi date in the history of this county, as well as in the
entire state of Jowa, there has been a division of iniblic opinion regarding the
sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage. As a rule the river towns on the
east and west ])orders of the commonwealth have been the locations where
the idea of ])rohi]jition lias l)een hooted at and fought the hardest. This is
natural, for at such points the worst of our population have always resided,
the l)etter element having chosen the prairie lands farther out from the con-
taminating inthiences of river traffic and boatmen's life.
The record of this county shows that in April, 1855, the question of
prohibition was submitted to the people, and resulted in defeat bv a vote of
three hundred and se\en to three hundred and forty-two, thirty-fiveniajority
for proliibition. At that election Xewton. as a precinct, gave one hundred
and eighty-eight votes against the sale of liciuor. and had it not been for this
large majority (more than one hundred) the county would have gone for
"free whisky."'
]n July, 1855. 't is recorded that at the town of Monroe. Bennett Put-
nam was appointed by the judge as agent for the purchase and sale of intoxi-
cating li(|uors for that town, and that on the loth of the same month he pur-
chased one hundred and fifty dollars worth of liquors to be kept in his
stock for "legitimate uses." Even this was a better regulation than many
of the liquor laws enacted on b»\\a soil, by which the "de\il has been whip))ed
around the bush."
UNIQUE TP:MrERANCE ELECTIOX.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, in Xewton, was organ-
ized in June. 1876. with Mrs. Reynolds as its president: Mrs. A. C. Gardner,
secretary: ]^Irs. Golding. treasurer. In 1878 it reported sixty-eight mem-
bers.
Perhaps the most noted thing ever attempted and carried to completion
was that of holding a separate election, on the same day of the regular elec-
tion held bv the men eligible to vote in Newton. The women had their own
ballot \x)x and rallied their forces strong, early and late, and when the bal-
lots were counted out by the men, it was found that the town had gone "dry"
by one hundred and fifty majority. The ladies polled over four luuKlred bal-
lots at their voting place. This was over whether Xewton should grant license
to saloons or not. In this case the ladies, no doubt, had much influence on the
casting of the ballots of their husbands and the reader can judge as to the
proprietv of letting women vote as a purifier of elections in this country.
366
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
VOTE ON THE CONSTITUTIONAI- AMENDMENT,
On June i-j, 1882. the prohibition question in Iowa was voted on. the
question being whether or not an amendment should be added to the state
constitution prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors, including "ale, wine
and beer." The vote in Jasper cninty, l)y precincts, was as follows:
For Against
Amendment. .Amendment.
J.ynn Grove township 234 t^t^
Buena Vista Township 136 45
Independence Township 117 42
Colfax precinct 171 24
Elk Creek Township 1 19 127
Monroe precinct 299 143
Prairie City 42 7
\'andalia precinct 40 65 '
Sherman township 90 39
Palo .\lto township 152 58
Poweshiek township 185 28
Mound Prairie township 90 36
Xewton township 533 196
Kellogg township 185 in
Clear Creek township 146 7
\\'ashington i)recinct 68 14
AFalaka township 43 63
Mariposa township 43 75
Richland township 92 34
Rock Creek township 29 53
Hickory Grove township 92 40
T<jtal 3.148 1.360
Majority for amendment 1,788
Total vote 4.508
Newton and Jasper county, generally speaking, have always disapproved
of the sale of intoxicating liquors, and until recent years have not tolerated
"boot-legging," but now it is common for such outlaws to get their work in,
in certain parts of the county. But saloons have never found a home at Xew-
ton. As early as 1855, Andrew Insley was engaged in the illegal sale of
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 367
liquor at Newton, and the citizens took the matter in hand, and finallv pur-
chased his stock of one hundred and thirty-six gallons of pure whisky and
nineteen gallons of good brandy which they took to the court house and de-
stroyed. Insley agreed to (juit the business, but soon resumed his illegal work
at peddling whisky. This being made known, the brave, true-hearted women
of the little hamlet gathered together and in a meeting resolved to destroy
the "vile stuff." This was accomplished under the leadership of Mrs. Lamb,
Mrs. Walker and ]\lrs. I'ettetish. The grand jury failed to find a true bill
against the man or he nn'ght have l>een severely punished. He had also sued
the ladies for destroying his "property." but the case would not stand in
Judge ?vIcFarland's district court.
During 1836 the women of Xewton visited the liquor shop kept bv San-
ford Porter and completely destroyed his stock in trade. Porter was greatly
enraged and had the ladies arrested, but the case amounted to nothing, for he
had no redress l:>efore the courts, as his was then, as now. looked upon as
an illegitimate business.
LOCAL LITERATURE AND AUTHORS.
Since the pioneer days in Jasper county there have been several literary
characters, those who have penned many beautiful jx^ems and framed many
fine sentences and pages of ])rose writings. These can not all be reviewed in
a work of the nature of this, but mention must be made of those that have
come within the personal knowledge of the writer.
Miss Carrie L. Early, daughter of George Early and wife, of Newton,
will be long cherished by those who have read her fine poems and other com-
positions. She passed from earth's shining circle all too young to have made
herself known to the nation, as she would have done had she been spared to
old age. She died at the age of twenty-seven.
Tn a book of her rare gems of poetry, she had one poem entitled "Suc-
cess." the last ver.se of which is here given. It really shows that her own sweet
life was a success in and of itself.
"If tliou hast striven to make clean
Thyself and build a life of good
To others, while thyself shall glean
From wheat or tares a sheaf of good —
If thou hast given thy l)est life's blood
To gain the cause thou didst think best.
If ever\' day thou didst an act of good.
Then thou hast truly gained success."
j^()S JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Miss Ciulillnia Zollinger was a recent year contributor to periodicals.
•'Dan Druniniond." "The Widow O'Callihan's Boys" (1908). "The Route
of the Foreigner" (1910), "A Boy's Ride"" (1909), and "Alaggie AlcLane-
han" (1910). etc., are all from her winning pen.
Dr. Perrv Engle has wntten many beautiful things of sentiment and
deep philosophy, both in p^'ose and poetry.
Dr. I. n. Gorrell has written many good things along various lines,
including scientihc. professional and also religious and political. His recent
work on his religious faith is said by good judges to be a work of rare merit
as a compilation on religious subjects.
As a local writer for the press none excels "Tommy" 'SI. Rodgers, as he
is known. He has long served on various papers and gets down to the bot-
tom of one's heart when he tries to be sentimental. Some of his writings
along down the vears are rare gems, in beautiful English word settings. He
was a soldier in the Civil war and, w ith another youth, established the first
daily in this county.
^Ir. Rinehart, who conducted the Herald many years, was a brilliant
writer in both prose and poetry, some of which may be seen in this work.
Mrs. T. G. Springer, of the north part of this county, wrote fine verse
in Civil war days. One poem was dedicated to the Jasper V^olunteers in 1861
and proved to be prophetic.
Another lady whom Jasper justl\' claims was Xettie. daughter of Air. and
Skiff, later known as Xettie Sanford-Cha])in, through her two marriage
unions, the last being to the veteran journalist, E. C. Chapin, of the Marshall
County Xczvs. She wrote mostly prose. She resided at W^ashingtoti several
winters and wrote much concerning society and fashionable ^^'ashington
circles. She lo\ed history also and w rote much of interest and \alue on Iowa
history. She pul)lished se\eral small books herself. She has been dead a
number of years.
The following is a campaign ode written man\- \ears ago bv William
Burne_\-. then editor of the Xcwtoii IlcraUl. now editor and proprietor of the
Collins Cazcltc. the occasion being the congressional campaign of 1888:
Friend of the ])eo[)le. wise and just.
l-'aithful to country, and to trust,
Xor shyster, nor deceiver;
Straightforward in debate and vote.
A gallant chief niongst men of nt)te,
We hail thee. General \\'ea\er.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 369
Brave soldier 'mid the j^ory rtght
For freedom, union, and the right.
Undaunted 'til the close;
Now. "mid the fight for equal laws
For rich and poor — a holy cause —
Thou bearest on thv foes.
And truth and justice must prevail;
And sore o])pression. and the wail
From many a burdened life.
Shall, by thine efforts, disappear,
"Till o"er the land, afar and near,
Shall cease the cause of strife.
God bless our country — may her boys
Have every blessing, and may joys
Find none their non-recei\er ;
And blessings crown thee, statesman true.
]\ larch on to conquer, we renew
Our pledges. General Weaver.
THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF 1 869.
Jasper county, in common ^\ ith others in this portion of this country,
had a rare — once in a life-time chance — in the month of .August, 1869. to
view the sublimit v of a total eclipse of the sun. It had been foretold by
astronomers and the\' hit the \ery minute in which it appeared. It appeared
as total within a stretch of country more than one hundred and fifty miles
in width through Iowa. The bodv of the moon completely hid the sun from
view. When the disk of the sun was almost covered and the light began to
diminish, a chilliness crept into the air. which during the earlier part of the
day had been extremely hot (it being August 7th). and a coolness not ex-
perienced even of a summer evening hour seemed to envelop the earth. This
approach of cold was instant and almost alarming. Birds and domestic fowls
sought their roosts, dogs and horses manifested much uneasiness and in some
instances positive terror. Cattle huddled together in fear at the swiftly ap-
proaching darkness and vet it was scarcely four o'clock in the afternoon. The
(24)
370 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
total w iilth i)t the corona was fifjured by scientists at one million six hun-
dred thousand miles.
Every person of an\- considerable as^e in this county who was not un-
fortunate euiius^h to he blind, \iewed this wonderful ])henomenon in the
heavens. It was a sight never to be forgotten 1)\- old ov young. Some had
one impression, some another. It was a wonder to all. Many hundreds hav-
ing prepared for the sight, had smoked glasses, and with tliese were enabled
to clearlv view the eclipse from start to finish. The coming on was beautiful
in the e.xtreme. Little bv little the light of the brilliant summer's sun was
shut off bv the shadows of the silveiw moon in its majestic march onward.
A few seconds of expectancy and the light was gone entirely. Then came
an interval of absolute silence — total darkness covered the earth. Upward,
the sight was charming, yet strange to behold. The larger, brighter stars
could be seen overhead plainly, as if it were night time. The chickens
crowed in man\' neighborhoods and all business was for the time suspended.
All were quiet and awestruck. The astronomer was at his glory. The su-
perstitious feared an impending calamity. The religious were thoughtful and
knew that Clod in hea\en reigned o\ er all. .\fter a few seconds, the rift of
light began to make its appearance and slowly the sun commenced again to
send forth its warm summer rays. It was said that this eclipse would not
again occur within four hundred years. Tt was the subject of much thought.
discussion and speculation at the time.
ITONEEIi wo .MAX CALEEI) ""COOO SQU.VW."
The wife of one of the first settlers in Jasper county. Mrs. \\'illiam High-
land, the first white woman in this county, felt timid when visited by her coi>-
per-colored sisters and brothers in the absence of. her husband. Frequently a
dozen braves would enter her cabin home at one time. They made quite
fashionable calls and seemed interested in her housekeeping and the house-
hold affairs in general. They talked on \arious topics, but wound up gen-
erally with a hint that some (jf the w bite woman's food would suit their taste
pretty well. In winter their clothing was none too ample for covering them,
and in summer it was still more lacking in close structure. .\t first she tried
to cut short these calls, and they knew full well the cause — because they were
not wanted. When they had tea.sed her to their heart's content, they would
compliment her by saying she was a "good scpiaw," and then offer to leave if
she would shake hands with them. When she comi)lied. they silently left the
place and did no mischief.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 37 1
There was a certain sympathy and pity extended toward these wander-
ing: Indians, who had just recently been bont^ht off. or dri\en off from their
lands by the antiiority of government. Uut the law of the survival of the
fittest had tn I)e broui^ht into play in such cases that civilization mij^ht lx;ttcr
be established in this, the .garden spot of Iowa.
STATE CAPITAL ONCE LOCATED LV JASPER COUNTY.
There are but few of the citizens living- within Iowa now who are aware
of the fact that one time the capital of Iowa was legally fixed to be built in
Jasper county, but such is the fact.
After Iowa territory had been admitted as a state, in 1846. and its first
session of Legislature was held in Iowa City, then the capital of the ter-
ritory, the state treasurer reported the building at Iowa City very unsafe.
subject to being injured by storms, etc.. and asked the Legislature to do
something about it. Hence the General Assembly responded to his appeal
and appropriated the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars for the com-
])letion of the old building. The question of the western boundary of Iowa
ha\ing then been settled, a discussion arose regarding the relocation of the
capital, as Iowa City was known by all reasonable minds to be too far to the
east. So the General .\ssembly appointed a commission to locate a seat of
government, and to select five sections of land. I)eing the amount granted by
Congress for the erection of public buildings: and granted the untlnished
buildings at Iowa City to the newlv created State L'niversity. to be used,
however, by the Legislature until other provisions could be made. The said
locating commissioners at once selected four sections and two half sections
in Jasper county. Two of these sections were located in what is n(nv Des
Moines township and the remainder in Fairview township. These lands were
situated between Prairie City and Monroe, on the Keokuk & Des Moines
railroad of later survey. A sale of lots took place there, a town having been
platted and given the name of "Monroe City." Four hundred and fifteen of
these lots were sold at cheap prices. The cash payment, one-fourth, yielded
.Si. 797.34; while the expense of the sale, and claim of the commission for ser-
vices, exceeded that amount by $409.14. When this glowing bit of financier-
ing was made known in the report to the Legi.slaturc. he. later known as
Iowa's most eccentric district judge. McFarland. who was then a member
of the House, moved that a committee of five, forming a select committee,
should be a])])ointed to investigate and show how much of "Monroe City"
was under water and how much had been burned u]>! The report was re-
l^yZ JASPER COIXTV. IOWA.
ferred, without the instructions, however. The result was that Iowa's new
capital at Monroe City ceased to be. llie lots were vacated and most of the
lot owners received their money back. Chapter 71 of the laws of the first
General AssembK will give about the above facts.
But there are still more interesting points to be brought to the attention
of the reader, in this singular case. Samuel B. Shelladay, a United States
marshal, one of more than ordinary influence in Iowa, and also a large land-
uuncr in Jasper county, was engaged by the citizens of the southern part of
Jasper county, to go to the Legislature that w inter, at Iowa City, and lobby
for the new seat of justice for Iowa. It may be stated, on good authority,
that through his scheming the commissioners were induced to select ''Monroe
City" (to be) for the new capitol location.
After the commissioners had fully agreed upon this location, a pledge
was given that no members should divulge the secret, until the fact had been
made known at Iowa City to the Governor and through him made generally
public?. But it is claimed that one Joseph D. Hoag, of the Friends religious
faith — a genuine Quaker — after having agreed to this, was so dishonorable
that he went to his home in Henry county, near Salem, and there let the news
out among his brethren, giving them e\ en the exact spot where the commis-
sion had located the new capital. At once the scheme was set on foot to
claim and purchase all the land in and around the newly-made seat of justice.
The Quakers were seen in great numbers, traveling on foot, on horseback and
in wagons from Henry county, northward, through Oskaloosa, until the peo-
ple there mistrusted something unusual was going on and when they followed
on after them, in a few days, it was learned that these Friends had literally
gobbled up much of the a\-ailable lands in the vicinity of 'Monroe City" — in
short nearly all Ijetween tlie Skunk and Des Moines rivers.
Manly Gifford, of Jasper county, was a large lot purchaser in the em-
bryo city. So great was the ill feeling toward the man who had thus l>etra\ed
a sacred pledge, that it was not until the lapse of more than fifteen vears that
H(jag was able to get his fees as commissioner from the state of Iowa, which.
after the older meml)ers were forgotten, did in 1862 finall\- ])a\- him for sucli
services.
"Monroe City"' ne\"er was platted ruid recorded in a legal manner — it
existed only in the minds of a few schemers and upon paper of little size and
value. Xot even a cabin was ever raised there ; the stakes denoting the lot
corners soon disappeared with the prairie fires of 1850. Where the proud dome
of the new state capitol was to rear its head heavenward, the prairie grass,
frostbitten and brown, stood in (hy and decaying waves. ^Fhc wild animals
made their snug homes where the executive mansion was to have been erected.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. T^yT^
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
To the present generation, especially t(j those who have not read up on
the history of the country before the Civil, war, as touching the
workings of the fugitive sla\e law, by which all citizens of the
United States, whether living South or North, whether believing
in the justice of slavery or opposed thereto, were, according to
that law of Congress, obliged to help capture and return to their "own-
ers" such negro slaves as might escape from their masters. This was a hard
provision for the anti-slavery men to live up to and keep good and clear their
consciences. Hence there was organized a secret society of men, and women
too, who were ready to thwart the plans of such an unjust law, by assisting
in every possible manner a sla\e who might come through the country, want-
ing to make his escape to Canada, where he would be looked upon as a free
man, black though he was. It will be understood also that this was happening
just at a time when steam railroads were first engaging the minds of the
masses and hence they very naturallv used the term "underground railroad,"
for the line over which these runaway slaves were sent from one part of the
north to the other. Many of the patriotic anti-slave songs also had titles
such as "Old Dan Tucker,"" the "Car of Emancipation," etc. Then it will be
understood that "underground railroad" had no real significance, in the light
of its being a real highway, as we now speak of railroads and of "under-
ground railroads'" in cities, etc., which do exist, in fact, but usually styled as
"subways."
During those anti-slavery times there were many in this county who
took an active part in helping negroes escape to Canada over this supposed
"underground"" line, for most of its trains were operated at night-time, in
order not to be detected by the slave hunters and their hounds. The following
is from the pen of "Old Shady" (Joseph Arnold), who was a "conductor"
on this railroad and these lines were not written until after the four years of
Civil war had freed the slaves :
"On the 4th day of November, ICS57, while returning from
Newton in company with Matthew Sparks, they overtook three
negroes about one-half mile out from Newton on the road leading
to Lvnnville. Mr. Arnold spoke to them, assuring them that he and his com-
panion were their friends, and told them to get into the wagon and ride.
They seemed glad of the opportunity, and after getting in, asked them where
they were going. Their repl>- was Lynn Grove. The darkies' eyes began to
274 JASPER COUISTV, IOWA.
enlarge and show plenty of white. They then imiuired if either of us knew
Arnold or Sparks. Upon being informed that the two gentlemen to whom
thev were talking were the persons asked for, the poor fellows were over-
joyed at tile announcement. One of them look a ragged and soiled piece of
paper from his pocket. On this slip was the names of Arnold and Sparks
which they said was furnished them by a certain party who had formerly
lived in this neighborhood, but now a resident of the Territory of Kansas. He
had instructed the colored gentlemen that Arnold and Sparks were safe con-
ductors on the underground railway. They were taken to C. B. White's
house in Lynnville. Soon after a good many local stockholders in the line
assem])led. a meeting having been called by Arnold and Sparks. About nine
o'clock one of the darkies made a speech in which he said : T have never
saw so many friends in all ni}- life and would not be anything but a "nigger"
tonight if J could. God bless you, I am gwine to de norf, sah.' After furnish-
ing the darkies with means and proper passage, they were taken on to
Grinnell. Their names were James F. ]\Iiller, Henry May and John Ross,
and were from the Cherokee nation. The same year, a darkey, his wife and
child, the latter about one year old, were br<jught to Joseph Arnold, who
kept them until about daylight, ferried them across the North Skunk ri\er
and took them to Jarvis Johnson, where they were secreted until the next
night, and sent on to the next station, Grinnell. That station was then
superintended bv Hon. J. B. Grinnell himself. On one occasion a slave
catcher met Arnold, and after having noticed, veiy particularly, the co\'ered
wagon he was then driving, the Missourian, a rough, profane man, stO]:)ped
the team and in an abrupt manner said : 'You haint seen nuthin' of no nig-
gers along here lately, ha\e you?' Arnold soon saw the defect in this man's
grammar, and answered him 'Xo\' He said his niggers were in here some-
where and that he would catch them as sure as h . He didn't though."
Other instances include the following narrated in a former history of
this section of Iowa :
"John R. Si)arks, Es(|.. employed several fugitives for a short time about
his saw-mill. On another occasion he came narrowly out of a 'fix.' During
his absence, his father, a good old Kentucky Democrat, entertained se\eral
dusky travelers northward IxDund. These fellows were trailed by pursuers
<lirectly to Mr. Sparks' house, and bad it not been for the fact that the shelter
was gi\en as stated it would ha\e been a certain case. As it was. the pm-suers
grumbled a good deal toward the old gentleman.
"August 13, i860, two covered wagons passed through Xewton contain-
ing fifteen negroes from Missouri and Kansas, makin"- tlieir way toward tlie
JASPER CO UN TV, IOWA. 3J5
North star. The wagons were accompanied by some twelve or fifteen white
men on horseback, and all were heavily armed, presenting a very warlike ap-
pearance. Among the whites was Barclay Coppoc, who had accompanied John
Brown on his ill-starred expedition into \irginia. and had barely escaped the
fate meted out to his comrades, one of wliom was his brother. Edward. His
flight was characterized by great nerve and daring. He returned at once to
his home in Cedar county, this state. Soon after, the sheriff at Tipton was
visited by a Virginia officer with a requisition for Barclay. The sheriff
volunteered to serve the papers, \isited Coppoc's home, and. not finding him,
left a message requesting Coppoc to be at home next day, as he had a warrant
for him. Another of the party was Ball, of the Brown invasion, and still
another. Doyle, of Kansas note. Coppoc and his company declared thev were
able to cope with a hundred persons, if attacked. They camped a short dis-
tance from town for several hours, and then resumed their journev. A squad
of nineteen passed a few miles south of Xewton the same dav. Three other
negroes passed through Xewton on their way north in A])ril of the pre-
ceding year."
OLD settlers' society.
January 8. i88j. an old settlers* organization was perfected. Joseph
Arnold drew up the preamble, constitution and by-laws, and they were re-
corded in book 3, page 382, in the recorder's office at Newton. There had
been several annual meetings of the old settlers held in the groves previous
to this, but no organization had been effected or any record of the proceed-
ings kept. John R. Sparks was chosen president and Joseph Arnold secre-
tary. In 1884 five acres of land was selected and purchased by the society,
which is one-half mile southwest of Lynnville and is called the ''Old Set-
tlers' Park." On this ground annual meetings were held and usually at-
tended bv the thousands. They are still kept up and at one occasion there
was estimated to have been ten thousand people in attendance. They came
from Maine to the Pacific coast — friends who had one time lived in Jasper
county. These gatherings are held on the third Thursday of each August,
and are greatlv enjoved 1)v all. Tt is the event of all the year in and about
Lynnville. The present ( 191 i ) officers of the association are: W. J. Adams,
president: Charles W. Wildman, secretary: W. P. Robertson, \ ice-i)resident :
C. H. Potter, treasurer.
JASPER county's FIRST CELEBRATION.
The first Fourth of July celebration in this county was held at the log
cabin home of pioneer 15. Aydekjtte. in Buena X'ista townshi]). and in 1894 —
376 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
just fortv-eight years later — Mr. Aydelotte was invited to attend a celebra-
tion in that township again, but was unable to be present, so wrote the fol-
lowing letter to his old-time friend, j. \\\ Murphy, who still resides in Buena
\'ista township. The letter, which describes the pioneer celebration, reads
as follows :
"Newton, Iowa, July 2, 1894.
"]. W. Murphy. Esq.
"Dear Sir : 1 was pleased to hear you was going to celebrate the 4th
at r^Iurphy. It reminds me of a little celebration we had at my home in
1 84(1 — if it could l^e called a celebration. It was a small affair, but we done
the best we could under the circumstances. Well ; the eight families that
settled on Elk Creek in 1845 concluded to meet at my cabin (you know where
it stood, near where the Herring House stands now) and spend the day in
celebrating. All furnished the best they had on hand to help out the dinner.
The families were AI. D. Springer. William AI. Springer, Joab Bennett,
James Pearson, Moses Lacy, Fool Bill Smith, B. Aydelotte and John H.
l-'ranklin. We got together early and the women went to cooking the dinner.
We did not have a great variety, but plenty such as it was. Lacy had killed
a deer a day or so ago, so we had fresh venison. Bennett found several
bee trees and we had plenty of honey. Bill Smith had been to Oskaloosa a
few days before and brought home a little flour. He furnished the pie crust.
I had gathered a lot of wild gooseberries, so we had gooseberry pie and plenty
of it and the dear old crabapple pie of those days. We had new potatoes and
garden beans, so our principal meal was corn bread, beans and potatoes. For
sweetening, my wife had made four gallons of maple molasses and lifty
pounds of sugar in an Indian AVickeup' that stood just above where the
railroad crosses Elk creek (west of Murphy). I had made troughs and
tapped thirty trees that stood around the AVickeup,' so with Bennett's honey
we had plenty of sweetening. \\'illiam M. Springer read the Declaration of
Independence and we spent the balance of the day in talking of the Mexican
war and the good countiy of Iowa and whether it would ever be settled up —
not in our day, we all thought. 1 would be glad to be with vou. but can't this
time. I have jotted this down as things came to my remembrance — did not
think I would write half so much.
'AVishing you a successful celebration
"I remain yours,
''B. Aydelotte."
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
}>7.
POPULATION.
The total jjopulation of Jasper ccninty. from 1847 to igo^. was as fol-
lows :
1847 560 1867 16.116
1849 1.223 1870 22. 116
1 850 1 .280 1 875 24, 1 28
1852 1,647 1880 23.963
1854- • 3456 1890 24.891
1856 7,490 1895 25.948
i860 9.883 1900 26.976
1863 10,590 1905 27.156
1865 12,239
In 1905 the state census report gave Jasper county a total of 27.156
population. di\icled among the \arious townships as follows:
Buena ^'ista township 873 ^^ari])osa township 612
Clear Creek township 787 Mound Prairie township i'393
Des Moines township 1,080 Xewton township 902
Elk Creek township 909 Palo Alto township 1.096
FairAiew township 1.258 Poweshiek township 1.032
Hickory Grove township 638 Richland township 739
Independence township 608 Rock Creek township 724
Kellogg township 608 Shemian township yt^
Lynn Grove township 883 \\'ashington township 852
^Falaka township 624
The population of cities, towns and villages in 1905 was: Baxter. 520:
Colfax. 2.-^^T,\ Prairie City. 756: :\Ionroe. 836: Kellogg. 592: Lynnville.
462: .'^ullv. 262: AFingo. 262: Xewton. 4.398-
THE I9TO UNITED STATES CENSUS.
The official census returns for 19 10 show that Jasper county has made
but a slight gain in population during the past ten years, but a review of the
table given below will show that the retardation in gain is due to the falling
T^jS JASI'EK COUNTY, IOWA.
off of the rural districts for the towns in all instances, but three show a good
per cent, of gain. The cities of Xewton and Colfax both made good gains
over the 1900 census. Xewton making a gain <it 25.43 per cent and Colfax
J2.94 per cent. Lynnville, Sully and Baxter also made good gains in per cent.,
but the towns of Monroe, Prairie City and Kellogg show a decided falling off
in population. During the past ten years the county made a gain of but 58
inhabitants, or al)Out one-fifth of one per cent.
Jasper County 27,034
Buena Vista township 896
Clear Creek township 796
Des Moines township, including Prairie City town i'993
Prairie City town 764
Elk Creek township 904
Fairview townshij). including Monroe town 2,028
Monroe town 800
Hickorv CJro\e tow nship 656
Indei)endence township, including Baxter town 1,361
Baxter town 527
Kellogg township, including Kellogg town 1.255
Kellogg town 610
Lynn Grove township, including Lynn\ille and Sully towns i'49'2
Lynnville town 370
Sully town 282
Malaka townshij) 601
Mariposa township 635
Mound Prairie township : 1-383
Newton township, including Xewton City 5oi8
Xewton city 4,616
Ward 1 1.55-
W'ard 2 1 .769
Ward 3 1.295
Palo Alto township • i.035
Poweshiek township, including Mingo town 1.259
Mingo town 246
Richland township j~^z^
Rock Creek township 631
Sherman tf)wnship ^y^
JASPER COUNTV, IOWA. 379
Washington t(n\ns]iip. including Colfax City 3<-^^3
Colfax City -i.^S4
Ward I 727
Ward 2 744
Ward 3 1 ,033
JASPER COUNTY POSTOFFICES.
In 19 r I the county had the advantages of the following postoffices. be-
sides numerous free rural delivery routes almost networking the entire countv :
Baxter, Colfax. l'"airmount. Ira. Kellogg. Killduff. Lynnville. Metz. Mingo.
Monroe, Newburg. Reasoner. Severs, Sully. Turner, Murphy and Xewton.
The history of these postoflfices will be found in the township and vil-
lage history chapters of this work.
VILLAGE PLATS AND POPULATION.
In 1900 Jasper countv had the following \illage plats, a more detailed
description of which will be found in the chapter on "County Organization:"'
Newton, population 3,475: Monroe, 917; Kellogg, 633: Lynnville. 347:
V^andalia. 89; Colfax. 2,500: Prairie City, 808: Greencastle, 92; Clyde:
Reasoner. 89: Galesburg: Baxter, 427: Fairmount, 40: Metz, 50: Mingo;
Ira, 130: Xewburg, 100: Sully, 150: Kilduff. 70; Murphy: Oswalt: Valeria,
150.
At that date eight of these places were incorporated towns, and fourteen
villages.
EARLY-DAY MOB LAW SPIRIT.
Perhaps in the settlement of all of the first counties in Iowa there were
cases wherein Judge Lynch took law into his own hands and thus sought
to get free from objectionable characters. In Jasper county. I>e it said to
the credit of her citizens, not manv such cases blacken the pages of its his-
torv. but there were a few times when men's lives were hanging between
eartli and skv in an awful suspense. In some instances innocent men and
again guiltv rmes were thus treated for some crime, or supposed crime, com-
mitted in this county.
One such case is as here narrated: In 1848 and during the month of
August, right in the midst of sultry dog days, a man named William Knisely
had made a claim in township 81. range 21. north of present Greencastle
o
80 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
site. He had broken out a small tract of land and planted out some nursery
stock. He was a single man. a very filthy, dirty person in personal appear-
ance and not well understood or liked 1)\' his near neighbors, the Hamlin
families. All of a sudden Knisely was missing and no one seemed to know
of his immediate whereabouts. Days went by and he did not return to im-
pro\e his claim. Finally the whole county was aroused about his sudden
disappearance and began to look the matter up. Charles H. and David B.
1 lamlin. with two other men. were arrested. Nathaniel Hamlin was also
arrested, but he was acc|uitte(l in a short time. It was known that the Ham-
lins had some property once l)elonging' to the man Knisely. and one of the
familv had l)een seen at the claim shack the day before the strange settler
had last been seen. Information was sworn out by John Harp and John
B. Hammack lie fore T. J. Adamson. and the murder was alleged to have
been committed June 27th. The complaint was made August nth. The
Hamlins were to have a preliminary hearing on the nth and the other men
on the 14th of August. All but the Hamlins were acquitted. To convict
even the Hamlins more e\"idence must be found, so the mob having the
matter now in hand set out to procure evidence sufficient to pro\"e the guilt
of the parties. First they took Nathaniel Hamlin in hands and coming to
a small tree hung him U]) by the thumbs. Soon he w'as lowered and. believ-
ing as he did, the poor fellow thought best to confess to almost anything they
asked him to. Half beside himself, and fearing l\nch law, he admitted that they
had killed Knisely and offered to show where the body had been buried in
a sand bar on the South Skunk. The crowd took the young man to the river,
who selected the spot alleged ; but no trace of the remains of Knisely could
be discovered there. Then the mob coaxed Hamlin to another confession,
when he stated the body of the murdered man had l^een thrown into the
Skunk river. He conducted the violent mob to the river's edge, and by this
time he was in danger of being torn to pieces by angry, liquor-crazed men.
Tie claimed the spot was on section 33 and that it was doubtless b\- a pWe of
drift wood. They now feeling they might be on the correct clue, allowed
Hamlin to strip and dive for the supposed body of the corpse. He did this,
but doing so failed to come up. One of the guard plunged in after him and
found Hamlin holding fast to a root, under water, no doubt intending to
drown himself. His grip was loosened, and he was brought to the surface
nearly strangled to death.
As soon as he had recovered sufficiently to resume liis "trial" it has
been related that he was severely flogged. The young man Hamlin, again
fearing sudden death at the mob's hands, had a new idea — he claimed that
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 381
the murdered man had probably been buried in tlie Indian burying ground
on section 25. township 80, range 21, near his father's claim, the remains of
a Fox Indian's grave having been disturbed for that purpose.
A rope was then attached to the prisoner, his hands pinioned and the
rope fastened to the saddle's horn, after which he was literally dragged by
a horse ridden by ^^'illiam Rickey, across the prairie to the Indian grave
yard. He pointed to the spot and the earth was opened, but no corpse was
discovered.
It was an anomalous condition of affairs. The mob had casilv ex-
torted a confession from Nathaniel, but each point in his story was shown
to be untrue by actual inspection. It would be supposed that the people
ought to have been satisfied with these acts of violence, but thev had now l)e-
come bloodthristy. Accordingly a crowd again gathered, all of whom
it is said, l^eing heroic with li(|uor. and took the other two Ilamlins out of
the custody of the sheriff, and strung them up by the neck until they were
found to be unconscious, when the\' were let down and allowed to revive.
But this bold and wicked act on the part of the mob elicited nothing more
satisfactoiT than the experiments made upon Nathaniel. The men told af-
terward that the pain of hanging was trifling, but that the return to con-
sciousness was terrible.
That night the Hamlins, through the exertions of David Edmundson
and John R. Sparks, Avere returned to custody, and were guarded by Mr.
Sparks and John E. Copp in Copp's store: Copp was absent for awhile, and
before he returned a tliunder-storm broke, ^^'hen Copp returned the noise
of his entrance startled Sparks, who clutched him by the coat collar ready
to strangle him before he recognized him. supposing for an instant that he
was leading the returning mob.. The poor Hamlins were then discovered
in one corner of the room, whimpering with fear, and begging to be saved
from the mob.
During the day's cruel business. Edmundson. who had followed the
crowd, held down the sapling to which one of the men was stretched, in hoi)e
of pre\-enting mischief, but was pulled a\\a\- l)y the crowd. Sparks, who had
accompanied Edmunson. ran foul of the malevolent Prouty. who said to him
that he believed he (Sparks) knew as much about Knisely's disappearance
as the Hamlins. Sparks' Kentucky blood was up as soon as the words were
out of Proutv's mouth. He seized the latter by the throat and demanded a
retraction, which Prouty. who was a thorough coward, gave at once. It is
difficult to find words suitable to express the honorable conduct of Messrs.
^S2 JASPER COINTV, IOWA.
Edmundson and Sparks in endeavorini;- to maintain the law. Shakesix-are's
"so shines a i^ood deed in a wicked world" is appropriate here.
The people, thus haftled, were more excited than e\er. The Hamlins
were carefullv i^narded tor several weeks hefore any new developments took
place.
Meantime. William Smith, wilhont statini;- his ])nrpose, decided to em-
bark in the delecli\e business on his own account. Tie knew that Knisely
had a brother li\int;- in Missouri, and he proceeded thither to l>egin his in-
c|uiries. haviui^ been informed by the Hamlins that Knisely had gone to that
state. .\s he had surmised, he found that Knisely had been to visit his
brother since his disappearance from this county. Smith reurncd home and re-
lated what he had heard.
This was almost more than the county could stand, and the feeling was
such that Smith himself was in danger of being lynched, or. at least, ar-
rested. Thev had become convinced that the Hamlins could not by any pos-
sibilitv be innocent, and here was Smith, just from Missouri, claiming to
show that they could not possibly be guilty. 1'o sohe the dilemma and es-
tabli.sh bevond dispute the truth or falsity of Smith's statements, a committee
of three su])stantial citizens was selected to \-isit Kliisely's brother. They
started forthwith and found to their astom'shment — most likely to their dis-
gust, also — that Smith's story was literally true. Knisel}''s brother and a
neighbor returned with the committee, and brought with them several afifi-
daxits showing that the nurseryman had been seen l)v all the signers of the
affidavit subse(|uent of the supposed murder. Nothing could be done but to
release the two Tlamlins; yet it is certain that no apologies were offered them
for the auno\ance and terror they had experienced through seventy-eight
anxious da\s. Some of those concerned in the abo\'e transaction believe to
this day that Knisely was killed by the Hamlins. It is stated to be a fact,
in connection with the above, that Knisely ne\er appeared again to any of
his acquaintances after he \isited his brother.
It transi)ired al)out the time the prisoners were released, that the Ham-
lins had told Knisely the neighbors were about to mob him (^n account
of his filth\- habits of living, but whether this was a joke on their i)art, or
whether tlicx' thought the}' could work on his fears and get him to run awav.
thereby to get possession of his yoke of oxen and other property, or whether
this came of his own imagination, can not now be stated with certainty, but
it i> probable he made this statement himself while staying with his brother.
Th(jse who had a part in this strange matter owe William Smith a debt
of conscience they can never re])ay ; for. had it not been for his forethought.
JASPER COUNTV. IOWA. 383
it is almost certain the poor Hamlins would lia\e been hanj^ed, either by or-
der of Jiidge Lynch, or by authority based upon circumstantial evidence. It
was a hai^py escape from a legalized murder that would have been a blot on
the records of Iowa for all time. As it was. the i)eople of jasper county
found that the news when spread abroad worked to their detriment, for peo-
ple were afraid, for two years, to settle in the county, Ix^lieving its inhal)itants
were a set of heathens.
JASPER COUNTY SAFE ROBBERY.
The conviction of two men. Rose and L'dell. in 1868, for breaking into
the Jasper county treasury and robbing it of its effects not only created great
excitement here, making an unparalleled chapter in the criminal records of
this county and state, l^ut also broke up a gang of thieving outlaws whose
members stretched over Indiana. Illinois and Iowa at the close of the Civil
war. This forever ended the work of the Reno robbers of Indiana and like
cases in the other two states named. The Pinkerton detective agency of Chi-
cago figured in this noted case, as well as did J. W. Wilson, Esq., of this
county, who liad charge of the prosecution. The county and commonwealth
owe a debt of lasting gratitude to these several gentlemen for the genius and
legal skill exhibited in breaking up this nest of violators.
Bad, bold men have lived in all old as well as newly settled countries and
Iowa has had her full share of such outlaws and some are still serving time in
the prisons of the state for tlie crimes committed, while still others went un-
punished, and still more have served their sentences and died, leaving but
a dark spot upon the pages of the history of the county in which they lived
and operated. In the more eastern states these crimes commenced way back
in the years after the war of 1812-14 in Kentucky and other states. In 1835
this element sought newer fields in fair Iowa, then a territory, by the organi-
zation known in historv as the "Banditti of the Prairies."' who were re-
sponsible for the assassination of that good frontiersman. Col. Ceorge l)a\-
enport. for whom the city of this name was named.
The settlers in these states and territories only found Judge L\nch
available in meting out justice to these noted characters. In 1837 coun-
terfeit monev was j)ut into circulation in large quantities and was often
l)razenly offered at the United States land offices. Hor.se stealing was a
common thing for many years and was carried on to such an extent that
"Horse-thief Societies" were organized under one name or another to pro-
tect citizens from losing their teams. These gangs of outlaws were well
^$4 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
organized, too, and nothing but Jvidge Lynch could reach their cases, courts
being too slow in action.
Early in the forties such gangs made their appearance in Cedar, Linn,
Clayton and I'^ayette counties. Their chief business was stealing live stock
and driving it to market and selling it. But as the country settled up more,
this type of men turned theiv attention to bank robbery and county seat
treasury safes, from which they frecjuently picked many thousands of dol-
lars. Then after the Ci^■il war came the James, and Youngers and Renos,
and a dozen more noted bands. Jasper county, however, escaped the dev-
iltry of these men until in 1868 the county treasury was boldly robbed by
descendants (doubtless) of these same gangs of outlaws — for blood will
tell !
The safe belonging to Jasper county, and the one used for temporary
funds, was broken into on the night of February 25, 1868, and rohbed of
about three thousand hve hundred dollars in current funds. The evening
before the robbeiy, Josiah B. Eyerly, county treasurer, was at the court-
house on business, in company with a man from the country. The treas-
urer was very careful upon leaving to see that all was securely locked.
At the time of this robbery Newton was the scene of a very exciting
religious debate between J. Y. Atchison, a celebrated Baptist minister, and
Rev. King, a Universalist preacher, well known in Iowa as a debater on
universal salvation for all mankind. Nearly all the adult population of
Newton had assembled at old Union Hall, facing the court house scjuare.
The debate did not cease until almost midnight. Snow was falling and
footsteps were thus well muffled. From the fact that no footsteps were
seen in the snow when the robbery was discovered, it is thought the robbery
must ha\e l)cen effected while the debate was going on in the well-packed
hall, as the falling snow would easily cover such tracks as must ha\e been
made by the robbers.
The following morning, Albert Piper, an assistant of the treasurer,
upon entering the office first, discovered the books and pajjers strewn about on
the floor. He at once gave the alarm to the treasurer, who, with liis friends,
went to the scene of the night robbery, and there found the tloor covered
with ])apers and books of great value, carefully preserved and placed on
file by the county officials. Some were mutilated and torn and others en-
tirely destroyed, while others were yet of value and carefully collected to-
gether. Powder had been placed in an opening in the safe and bv the ex-
plosion the bolts and doors had been 1)lown apart. The robbers had chosen a
time wlien the treasurv did not contain nearlv so much cash as mi<2ht have
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA. 385
been found a day or so earlier or even later. Among the articles left behind
were wedges, bars and tools used in effecting an entry ; a part of a wax candle
and fuse were also found on the floor. At the time the safe stood in a very
much exposed place, as compared to treasuries of today, which are housed
within very safe, fire-proof vaults.
The county officers concerned in ferreting out the robbery were J. M.
Rodgers. sheriff; J. B. Eyerly, treasurer; M. A. McCord. prosecuting at-
torney. W'inslow & Wilson were employed as special attorneys for the county.
Silas Axtell, a constable and detective, was engaged at once to work up the
case. The officers lost no time in instituting a search. I'Tom among the mul-
titudes uf rumors they gathered enough to satisfy themselves that the rob-
bers were not local parties, and that no grounds existed for suspecting anv-
one in the town or county. It was soon learned that strangers had l)een
seen coming into town the evening before from the direction of Kellogg. A
school teacher had observed the men carrying a case or package, coffin-
shaped, as he descril^ed it. It seemed \ery heavy, as the men kept changing
hands in conveying it along the highway. This served as clue number one
for the officers. It Avas soon learned that five men got ofif the Rock Island
train at Kellogg the evening before the robbery. It was also found that five
men got ofif the train at Mitchellville. the morning after the robbery had been
committed.
Search was then made all over Xewton and in a lumber yard the "coffin-
shaped" box was discovered. A blacksmith shop on the west side o'f the
square had been forced open and from it a sledge had been taken. This was
found near the safe in the court house. A banker in Xewton was at once
engaged to wire a detective in Chicago and at once one of Pinkerton's best
men. DaAe Ise. appeared on the scene. He soon learned from railway men that
the five men had each flashed a ten-dollar bill to pay fare to Des Moines,
and that they had jumped the train at Mitchellville, before entering Des
Moines. The men were soon spotted as having hired a famier to carry them
to Nevada and there they boarded a train for Chicago. The detective-, hot
on their trail, went to Chicago. There he changed clothing in disguise and,
with the farmer, visited the low dives of the city a few days and finally found
what the farmer said was his men and he still carried out the plot by playing
cards with them and letting on that he was intoxicated. He had stationed
two policemen at the saloon door and when the time was ripe the men wan-
dered out and fell easilv into the hands of the officers. They being on I Hi-
(25)
386 lASl'ER COLNTV. IOWA.
nois soil, they had .to l^e spirited away by force in a sled and taken to a train
which Pinkerton had wired to be stopped, where they were placed in irons
and broug^ht to Davenport, where they tried at meal time to make their escape,
but after a few shots were as^ain captured and broui:;'ht on west. On their
person were found the gold pen and a padlock stolen from the lumber yard
in Kewton, alreadv mentioned: also pieces of fuse of the same sort found
in the Xewton court house.
At the sprini^" term of district court, at Xewton, that same }ear, the
two captured men, Charles LMell and Abraham Rose, were arraigned for
the crime. They pleaded not guilty. The case did not come off. at once,
and to make sure of their game, the authorities had the prisoners sent to
a safer place, Oskaloosa jail, to await the November term of court. Allan
Pinkerton had l>ecome convinced that these men l)elonged to a great gang —
possibly the famous outlaws, the Renos, and he it was who insisted on hold-
ing the case over in order to get more of the gang, which pro\-ed a very
wise thing, too. A scheme was put into etTect. the gist of which was this:
The prisoners were known to ha\e friends outside and it was con-
cluded that attempts would be made to corresi)ond with them. The sheriff
of Mahaska. J- ^^ • Hinesley, was interested in the matter and his valuable
services secured. The sheriff did not live in tlie jail l)uil(Hng, which was in
charge of jailer Hedrick. It was arranged that e\ery facility should be
given the men, especially I'dell. for writing letters and his literary tendencies
encouraged to the utmost. These epistles were necessarily given into the
hands of some one of the officers. presuma])h- in those of the jailer: but in
all cases the prisoners and their friends' letters were to be sent to Messrs.
\\'inslow & Wilson, at Xewton. to be treated as they saw fit. ^Mr. \\'ilson
became deeply absorbed in the work, and performed some detective feats
that would ha\'e reflected credit on an old professional.
Only a few days elapsed before the sheriff was able to open a regular
system of secret correspondence with 'Mr. ^^^ilson. ^feantime the Pinker-
ton force was fully aware of the scheme and ready to co-operate with the
officers of either X'^ewton or Oskaloosa. The whole affair is explained so
fully by the epistolary documents still in existence, but for the first time
made public in 1878. ten years after tlie robbery, that thev are here used as
quotations in full or in i)art, as the case seems best to warrant.
The fir.st letter to Mr. Wilson from Sheriff 1 linesley was dated April
28. 1868. The reply is given here in full :
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 3S7
"Xewton. Iowa. April 29. 1868.
"J- ^^'• Hinesley, Esq. : Yours of the 28tli w itli enclosure to W'inslow
w as received today. W'inslow is in Boone county now. In the letter to Mrs.
Smith, enclosed, I tiiid by close examination that it was written by invisible
ink and contained something worth knowing. I applied a test to the letter,
and brought out a full and clear letter, written closely over the whole sheet
of paper. I send you enclosed a true copy for your benefit. The ink used
was milk. I will make a true copy of the letter to Mrs. Smith as written
in ink and in milk and send that to her. T will send a copy of the same to
Pinkerton at Chicago, and have him send to Indianapolis and watch the
party who takes the letter out and follow up the plot. In this way. I think
we can keep track of them all the while and follow them to Oskaloosa. and
arrest them Avhen they make the attempt on the jail. Of course vou will be
prepared for them on the 15th and 20th of May, the time spoken of. As
soon as we hear from Chicago we will let you know and keep vou fullv
posted. Send all communications to us: also all letters sent to Rose and
I'dell. before delivering them to the prisoners.
"Yours truly.
''W'lXSLOW & \\'lLS0X,
"Per Wilson."
The letter referred to by Wilson is here produced in full. It was
written by Mr. Udell on commercial note paper and contained a few com-
monplace remarks on the first page, ))ut ended with the significant expression
*'So now look out." Mr. W^ilson was satisfied that there was invisible
writing on the three apparently blank pages and devoted nearly three days
with experiments to bring it out. At last he thought of milk as an invisible
ink and a])plied the test of a hot sad-iron, when the following satisfactory
and surprising document gradually appeared on the innocently looking sheet :
'"Dear Elizabeth : \\'e have tried twice to get out. but have made a
failure. The last time we would have been out in a few minutes more, but
now we can do nothing without help. The jailer is living in the jail. He is
about. Andv Wilson and his wife is sick most of the time. There is three
girls grown and three little boys the size of S. L. Willie and George. The
boys all sleep in one bed and the family sleep up stairs. If five men w ill come
tliev can take the whole family and release us. There is five persons in jail.
There is a man bv the name of William A. Ayers that will lead the men if
he can get four to follow him. He is a friend to A. Ro.se. my partner.
\\'rite to William A. Avers. Springfield. Illinois, and send one letter to him
^88 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
in Chicago to the Matteson House, corner of Randolph and Dearborn streets,
and tell him to come and see you, that you want to make an arrangement
with him about bailing Abe Rose and his friend out of jail. Tell him on
what street and the number of your house so that he can find you and your
name, and when he comes show him this letter. Do this sure. This is the
onlv sure way 1 know of to get out of here now. I hope that Ogle, Billy,
Carle, I'erkins and Reno, or three of them at least, will follow Ayers. I
know that the thing can be done in the evening at half past seven or eight
and then lea\c on the train at nine. We can lock the family in the jail and
get away at any time of night. This must be done or I fear I shall see hard
times before I see you again. There will be no chance for private talk if
one was to come to the jail, unless he comes in the night. I would (like
and) ought to know what night to look for them, for I would (otherwise)
be asleep when they spoke. There is a fence twelve feet high around the
west end of the jail where we are. Get over that and come to the window
and have a stick nine feet long. You can reach right straight across the hall
to mv cell. Bring a dozen of the best saws. There is three bars in the door
of the cell to saw, two inches wide and two and a half inches thick, and the
same to cut to get into the house hallway. Then I will be as good as out. The
window is large and low, four feet from the ground, with two sets of grates
in it, but you could poke anything into my cell with a nine inch (foot) stick.
If anyone comes they could stay a week and come in the night and talk to
me. And I could tell them then what else to do. It will cost fourteen dol-
lars to come here. Come b}- Keokuk. I will set the night the 20th of May,
for one to be at tlie window. I will look for one that night at eleven or
twelve. The jail is in the west end of building in Oskaloosa, Mahaska
countv. The town is three miles from the railroad. Now- get one to bring
the saws and come that night and stay and get things done fine. I have no
confidence in sawing out but 1 will tv\'. If one comes he can see how e\'ery-
thing is and take us out; the one that comes he can see how we are situated,
then go back and get the men. He can go into the woods and stay daytime
and see us at night. He can buy his grub somewhere, or go to the hotel at
meal time. If you can get Ayers to come and sec }-ou. he can c-ome and
get the thing done, and if he is not there by the 15th of May, get Ogle or
Billy, or e\'en Charlie to come to our window . The fence is high and w ill be
a little hard to get inside the fence. But there is cross pieces on the inside
and will be very easy to get out.
"Now my only hope of getting out of this scrape is bv some of you
helping me, and I hope Charlie and Billy will not fail to help me. Ayers
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 389
(has?) was a brother in a fix S(j Ijacl as ours. He himself will do anything
for my partner, that any of you would do for me; so if you can get him
there or anyone to come, (a few words here unintelligible). I write this
April 25th. but don't know how soon I can get it mailed. My last request
is for some one to come to the window, some night as soon as they can and
keep coming until we can come to some final understanding. Write me few
lines through the lawyers at Newton and if anybody comes say so through
milk: but only a few words, as 1 can only get letters through the jailer,
James Hendrick. I have ten dollars yet. I will give the jailer's boy a dol-
lar to mail this. If you get it that shows he is true to me. His name is
Hiram Hendrick. He is alxmt twelve years of age. Whoever comes to our
window have him to bring two small vials of equafortis. It will eat the bars
when it is heated hot. (iet two vials with glass sto])pers and get the very
best equafortis there is. Be careful it don't leak or it will ruin their clothes
who e\"er l)uys it. The sheriff lives two squares from the jail. I tried to get
the confidence of the sheriff. He may come right. He is on the stand
what to do. He is afraid he can't do anything without being suspected.
Only sure thing is to rough the jailer. It can be done by bringing a pris-
oner. Tell him they captured him trying to steal one of Lansing Bryant's
(omission), living four miles east of town. Tell whoever comes to the jail
to call Mr. Hedrick. He will ask who is there. Tell him you have a man
you caught trying to steal a horse of Lansing P)ryant. Then he will open
the door and the jail part is straight back through the hall. Come on right
through. When he comes on after you with the keys act as the thing suits
you, but don't let the jailer go for the sheriff, but keep him in. Do not fail
to get one to come to our window and don't be afraid of anything. It is
easv to get out of the lot. but it is a high fence and hard to get inside."
There was no signature to the secret part of the letter. The portion in
ink contained the necessary formalities.
The letter confirmed the suspicions of the detectives, but the sup-
pression of the document would merely thwart their own ends. It must be
sent to its destination and there traced to the evident headquarters of the
gang in Indiana. The execution of this required no little ingenuity and
skill. The letter itself was no longer availal)le because of the restoration of
the milk writing to a legible condition. The only way to accomplish their
end was to reproduce the document. This plan was successfully carried out.
The writing in ink was coimterfeited and then the pages in milk were copied
carefully in stvle. orthography, etc. Still after this diflficult task was per-
formed there remained an obstacle in the way. Po.st-marked envelopes from
^gO JASPER COIXTV, IOWA.
Oskaloosa were needed and these were obtained. The bogus letter was placed
therein and sent to the Xewton office without further stamping.
The expressions used by Udell opened up another field of work. It
was agreed between the lawyers and the sheriff that the latter should estab-
lish confidential relations with the prisoners, holding out the inducement
that he could be bribed. The plan was so cautiously worked up that the
cracksmen were fully deceixed. It was also arranged that the jailer's boy'
should carrv all letters offered by Udell ; but instead of posting them he de-
livered them to the sheriff. When it was known that Udell made use of
milk that article was supplied him as a regular diet. The usually shrewd
man thus fell headlong into the trap.
The next letter was as follows :
"Oskaloosa. May 8, 18G8: This is written with milk — heat it hot.
Send me some answer this way. Write to the sheriff of Mahaska count},
Iowa. The sheriff is a brother of Hinesley that keeps the exchange livery
stable in Indianapolis. I have talked with him about letting me out. He said
if I was from where he heard I was that he could do something. He asked
me about dift'erent persons at Indianapolis. I offered him six hundred for
letting me out. He said it was not enough. Since Billy was here he has
come and talked with my partner and wanted $2,500. But from his talk
I am sure he will do it for two thousand. So if we can get two thousand I
am sure we can both get out. He. of course, will not trade just for one of
us. as he says that all in here will have to get away at the same time so as
not to have him suspicioned. I am confident he is in earnest but he wants to
make money by it and does not want to let anyone have a holt on him here-
after. If Billy has this amount come and give it to me and I will l)e out in
less than a week after. There was no drop about him being at the window
that night, but the jailer won't let anyone in after night, unless he knows
just who they are. So that if anyone was to come they would have to come
late at night and get in on the quiet. But I know the sheriff will give us a
chance to get off if we can get two thousand dollars. I don't believe that
Rose can raise any money, so if Billy can get me that amount I can be out
right off. But no one must know we bought the sheriff', for if he was to
know I wrote this he would do nothing. He has got his left arm shot off
and is p(jor and wants money. If I could raise the money anyway of my-
self I would (\o it. But I don't know only to depend on Billy and that
amount will let us out. and that is better than to run any uncertain or
dangerous chances. If liillv can see those friends and get some funds from
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. yjl
them Ayers will give some, if he has it. But if Billy has the money himself
don't delay. If he gives to me we will make it in less than twenty days. I
hate to ask this. l)ut is a sure thing and 1 have full confidence in it.
Jf he did say anything to Ryan about me trying to hrihe him,
I am confident he is all right now, for he can't make any mone\- l>v keeping
us here or nothing by blowing on us for bribing him. If Billy comes to the
window he must not say anything about the sheriff, for it won't do for the
others in here to know we bribed the sheriff. But they can get out when we
do, for the sheriff does not want them to know enough to implicate him.
He is very cautious when he comes here to talk."
How well the scheme worked will be seen by the following instrument
which announces the full capture of the sheriff. It also alludes to the pres-
ence of Udell's friends outside the window, a certain prisoner named ''Laid-
ley." and possibly Pinkerton's Registers — at least the letter reads:
"Oskaloosa, May 16, 1868.
"I have a bargain to get out for $2,000. If I can get half and Abe
half, we can get out right off. I don't know if the boys can do anything
or not. B. said they would come in two weeks. That time is past two days
ago. A prisoner upstairs tells me three of my friends was here Mondav and
Tuesda}- night Ijut failed to come to mv window. This man upstairs li\-es at
Columbia, ]owa. His name is George S. Laidley. He is a harnessmaker
and gets out the last of this month. If B. goes to him the thing can be done
here on the (|uiet. We want a all-key made. We have the impression. Then
we ha\e onlv three liars to cut. This can be done with muriatic acid in one
hour. Make a cu]i of beeswax around the bar and pour on acid. In forty
minutes it will eat it off. This man understands it. Let one come to window
and get our impression and go to Keokuk and get the key made. Get a
dollar's worth of muriatic acid and a pound or two of beeswax and come
and give it into the window about two or three in the morning. All is (piiet
at that time. The next night we can cut out. We want also a good sized
screw driver to take the lock off the back door. That lets us into the garden.
Let B. come to Columbia the first of June and find George Laidley. I have
posted him and if he gets out before the first of June he will write to you.
But he will l)e home in Columbia by June ist. Anyhow he can tell B. more
than I can and he will help at anything. He has been a rebel in his time and
says he cut the bars and let Stonewall Jackson out of prison at Harper's
Ferr\ . If B. will risk this plan, let him work it in dark of moon in June.
But I can be home in three days if I can get a thousand dollars and Abe a
2^2 JASPER COLXTV. IDWA.
thousand dollars. The sheriff lets us break out. Leave no stone unturned
until von get me out. I am afraid B. will get discouraged but we must get
out somehow before court. \\'e may be too late then. If that Avers liad
money Abe would get his. lie writes to three or four men for money but
has onlv heard from Ayers and he has none. He expects some from John
Richardson, his brother of Forest City. ^Missouri. He writes today to his
uncle at Trov. New York. Thomas Richardson. He is wealthy and I think
Abe will get a thousand dollars soon and then I hope B. will let nie have a
tliousand dollars. It might be best to buy out at once. So much expense
will run u]) to that soon and we can get out immediately then. Write a few
lines in ink and a few in milk. Send to J. ^^^ Hinesley, this place. Don't
mention about this letter, as I got the jailer's boy to mail it. but you can
say Ayers was there and how you are, etc."
Mav 27. t868. Udell delivered a letter to the sheriff, with the sincere
belief that that ofificer was still working in his interest, which letter was to
be sent to his brother in Indianapolis, the Hveryman above alluded to. This
missive contained an ordinary hope for better times, but was signed with a
significant cioss. evidently a private mark placed by Udell on all documents
containing milk writing. Some three pages of invisible writing were dis-
covered on this sheet. Imt the information contained has already been cov-
ered by other letters, except that these stated that he had not gotten his
share of the Jasper safe robbery and that by reason of his going to Chicago
to get his full share he had been captured.
The letter ended by an intimation that the boys were still engaged in
their dangerous work. He says, "li the boys 'make' $2,000. bring it to me
without a moment's delay. Anyone can see me in company w ith the sheriff.
\\'e are like old acquaintances. He knew father well.''
He also asked his wife how many letters she had received, as if he
suspicioned the sheriff might not 1)e ])lriying fair with him. In a second
letter, on the 27th of ?^ra\ . he signifies tliat he fears Laidley is not going to
be true to his promise. He urged first one plan, then another, as if driven to
desperation as court time was drawing close at hand. He repeats his in-
junctions concerning the ease with which the j.'iiler can be '"ruffed." and
himself and partner set at liberty.
Another letter is found written entirely in milk, without date, which
seems to take up the thread of the story at this ])oint. It is here reproduced
entire, and is in Udell's own handwriting:
'A\'e lia\e a job for the boys to do. Tet them get a good worker to
help them, and they can raise the money at one place. 1 think Jo Miller could
work it with 1'. and C. There is a town called Xew London; it is eiehteen
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. * 393
miles west of BiirHnoton. It has six hundred inhabitants and there are ten
stores and groceries in the place, and one steam grist mill. There is a drug
store and grocery store together in one building. The store is kept bv Allen
& Thompson. They have a safe five feet high, and it must have inside doors.
as it is quite thick. It stands with the back towards the door, so that you
can't see the front of it. It sets in the front of the store, at one end of the
counter, and is the only safe in the town, except one at the gri.st mill. The
one at the mill is a Pittsburg, single door. But don't disturb it until after
the drug store one is got. There is no one sleeping in the drug store, and no
one nearer than the tavern across the street.
"This is the best job I know of. There is some bonds in il, and the
druggist bought $900 in gold last fall from one man. There is some de-
posits in it. They are sure of $5,000, and it ought to be made sure of. If
they could get that and come on here, one of them, with $2,000. we would
be free in a little while. At the back end of the store is a warehouse. You
could raise a window in the back and get in through the middle door into
the front room, or go in at the front door of the store.
"The thing is as T tell you. and if you prepare yourself to go out \ou
miglit watch it sometime to satisfy yourselves about it. Rut be sure and get
a good worker and go ahead and do this as soon as possible. It is not
harder than the Mount Vernon matter. Be sure and not make a failure. My
life almost depends on raising this $2,000. I do hope that it will be got
1)6 fore long. Nearly half of my time is up. and nothing done yet. Don't
lose the rest of the time.
'T S]:)oke about a man named Laidley, that lived at Columbia. He w ent
out the 30th of May. He promised to go and see you. He said he would
stop at Springfield and see Ayers. and write back and go onto your house.
We gave him ten dollars to get through on ; but he has not wrote back, nor
have we heard anything from him yet, and if he has not come he then only
lied to us. Let me know in milk in your next letter if the $10 man has ever
come vet. If lie wrote to vou. vou need not pay much attention to him. for
he promised to go and see you and get some help to get me out. If he writes,
or comes either, do not give him any money, nor do not let him lay around
long. If he does anything, let him go at it. If not send him about his busi-
ness. But let me know if he comes or wrote. If I had a little stufif I could
settle the man that is here.
'Tn vours of the 23d. you say they watch the house. I see by the
papers that the Jeff train was beat the night before you wrote, and it is
likely the police had their eye on the house when you wrote, to see who
T^g^ JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
would be coming in. to see if any of the express robbers were likely to be
in it. I kind of suspect Salisbury is about there, and if he is he may be
knowing" old matters, and may ha\e put someone on the affair that Ruby
tried to shake him on. Sol is as mean, if not meaner, than (Gonzales, and they
both ought to be put out of the way.
"Write in black next time how much \ou can raise me, and how soon it
can be got. B. thought the sheriff was wrong when he was there that night.
I will find out when Ryan comes, if the sheriff said any thing alx)ut me to
him: but anvway, if he did say anything. I know he would not do as he
does now if he were not right; besides when Aloe's brother comes he will
fix it so that he can't fool us: and he would be afraid to not let us break out
after he got his money, for fear our friends would kill him."
Another touching letter from "Lizzie," the wife of Udell, reads thus:
"Well, I hardly know what to say, but 1 would give all this world that
I ever exi)ect to ha^'e to see you and to know how to get you out. But my
will is good, but for me to do anything without anything to go on is im-
possible, for 1 hardly know what to do next sometimes. I have just one
hundred dollars left now. The money that was lost with them dirt\- dogs B.
says he will give back to me. It was three hundred dollars, but the lawyers
got two of it. P'or my part I can't do nothing but just wait. I expect that
you look for someone, but there was no one to go, for B. and C. had gone
away to try to get some old debt settled up, and I will have to wait. If I
could raise the money I would be glad to do so sure, and I think that B.'s
j)ile is small at this time, but when they get back they can say what can be
done. I think that they watch my house and that makes B. verv shy, what
makes it hard on me. But I will try and do the best I can. 1 have found out
through one of my neighbors that they quit Tom Wilson for not taking you.
When you was out here they tried him in the police court, and he came very
near losing his office. She says that day that he came to my house that there
was three more in here, and Tom told a friend that he could not lake vou,
because he thought so much of \-our wife and children. Hereafter. I will lie
warned of danger. Well, 1 don't know what to say next. l)iit hope that
something will be done for you when B. and C. gets back. I Impc that some-
thing will be done for you. 1 have got the blues so l)ad I am almost sick.
Well. I have told you all I can this time. Oh that 1 could see you and talk
I would be glad. Write soon and let me hear from you, and I will trv hard
to get .something done, so keep in good heart, and for this time.
"Lizzie."
JASl'EU COUNTY. IOWA. 395
June 9. 1868, came the next letter from Udell to his wife. Interlined
between the ink writing is the information that his identity had been dis-
covered and his connection with the general band was known. He ex-
pressed no anxiety on this score, and assures his wife that he talks merely
on general topics with the sheriff. He is satisfied that he can make his
escape upon the receipt of one thousand dollars, and said the sheriff wanted
the money sent by a trusty man, instead of l)y express. They had received a
letter from Ayers. He had no money. Ijut wcmld attend to their case as
soon as he got through with the trial of his own brother in Illinois for bur-
glary. He said they could place no more confidence in Ayers. He again
mentioned the chance at cracking the safe at Xew London and explains
what he meant by wanting "stuff" to give a prisoner in jail there in Oska-
loosa. It was thought the jail-bird had told the authorities of his trying to
make a wooden key.
The last letter from Udell to his wife was in pencil and spoke of hav-
ing her bring the children to see him at time of his trial.
Another letter from ^Irs. Udell to her husband, dated June 27th. refers
to the i^risoner. Laidley. in the following language :
"The man }ou gave the ten dollars wasn't here. He wrote to me to
send him forty dollars to come and see me. but I can't do that, and I am
afraid of your friends. I fear the letter that you sent by the sheriff's
brother was give to Bill Robison. the old sheriff, to bring to me. Don't trust
too far to no one. Joe Miller is gone up. and his wife and little Jim. But I
think 1 can raise the money of Perkins by a mortgage on the land. The job
on the Jeff road I don't know nothing about.
"Send your letters to Mrs. Smith, same as l>efore. Tliat man Ayers. I
don't want you to write to him, for I don't like his style, from what I can
hear: and dcjn't talk too much to no one. tor everything leaks out. If he
had the money, it would be all right : but he has not got it.
"Well. I hope that your partner will raise his part by the 4th. and then
someone will fetch it with the rest soun. Keep in good heart, for it is hard
for me to think of you."
The corresi3(jndence between Rose and his friends begins in April.
1868. l)v a letter to Ayers. written in ink, urging Avers to come to Xewton
and consult with the lawyers for the defense relative to bail.
May 8th three letters were written by Rose, one addressed to William
C. Avers. Springfield. Illinois; one to John Richardson. Forest City, Mis-
.souri. and one to James Gillmore. of St. Louis. The letter to Ayers is
plainlv a renewal of the request for one thousand dollars to aid him in getting
T^qC) JASI'KR cor XT V. IOWA.
out of his difficulty. The one to Richardson was addressed ''Dear Brother''
upon the inside, and is of the same import as the one just referred to. The
third letter was of a similar nature.
Another of the interesting communications to iVyers was one written
June If. 1868. which presupix)ses a knowledge of the attempted escape by
bribery, and was written l)v both I 'dell and Rose, jointlw This letter read
as follows :
"You know I'itzsimmons, or Sandy, as he is called, also James Stein,
and maybe Hilly Burns. Either one or all of these can tell you who it is
that should raise the money. It was our misfortune to be found first, and
b\- that means others had a warning of something wrong. \\'e ha\'e been
wise enough to keep our mouths shut, also. We do not want to write to
Chicago from here, or to make a false move to endanger any man's liberty,
but we want nionew aiul must Iiaz'c it, for the purpose that we ha\e hereto-
fore informed you. If you have any business up at Chicago, take this with
you and find some of these men, and tell them you want to see our friends,
or those that ought to help us. If you can be satisfied of the abilities of our
friends to keep the secret, then you can tell them what is wanted with the
money. And if thev wish to see or know more about it for their own satis-
faction, let them send a man that they can depend upon here, and they shall
be satisfied. Burns or Stein or Sandy, they can see us by seeing the sheriff.
But for Christ's sake don't let this matter of ours become too public. It is a
bad policy for men you know to gab and blow as soon as they are in trouble,
but it is worse policy for free men to not step forward with a few hundred
dollars to save men from long sufTering and hardships.
'A\'e ]ia\e got a knowledge of matters now that would of l)een cheaj)
five months ago for $1,000. If we can get fixed, as money will fix it. this
information will cost you nothing. The amount we ask. $2,000. can be
returned inside twenty days. This letter, Ayers. I hope you will use with
discretion. It is the only chance we ha\-e for seeing da\light."
Ayers responded to this letter as follows :
"I received your letter today of the 12th instant, and was glad to hear
you were well. But I am .sorry to be obliged to say that I cannot help vou at
pre.sent. I am on my way to Springfield, just leaving Ilarrw He had a
trial, and was sentenced to eight years and Jim to six years. But we ap-
pealed it and got a new trial. It comes off next September. Abe I expect
to see Mc. and I shall lay this before him. 1 saw him once, l>ut he was not
fixed. I can't get to see Billy, but I understand he says that he would not
help anybody. I shall do all I can. 1 have overreached myself financially
in this case of Harry's, but I shall go into business soon and keep you posted."
JASl'ER COLXTV, KHVA. 397
J-roni tlic lime "Laidlcy" was liljeratcd. May ^olh. a constant visitor to
Udell appeared in the jail yard. To this friendly fellow Udell fell into the
habit of throwing numerous bits of tracts and hymn books, which some good
Christian lady had evidently supplied him with, for the benefit of his soul.
These scraps of religious literature were covered with fine writing in pencil,
giving instructions as to how to work. In one of these messages Udell gives
expression of a fear that ''all was not as it should be," but that he had a
"true wife" who would look out for his interests.
These messages found their way into the hands of Wilson, the attor-
ney, in a way that was strange. Udell began to doubt the "honesty" of
Laidley, and no one will blame him for that.
The jail at Oskaloosa was strengthened by additional bolts and bars,
in an unusual degree, Udell thought, considering the fact that no one knew
of the proposed escape.
. Day after day dragged heavily by, and no one came to his rescue. The
day for his trial came and the two. Rose and Udell, were taken to Newton
for trial. Lindley & Ryan defended the men. Xo defense was required,
however, for on the 25th of November, both men pleaded guilty to the
several charges.
Charles Udell was sentenced December 30th to ten years' imprison-
ment in the penitentiary and to pay half the costs of the prosecution.
Abraham Rose was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and half
the costs of the prosecution. Rose was let ofif easy on account of his hon-
orable service in the Union cause in time of the Civil war. The nine hundred
and fifty-four dollars taken from them at their arrest was applied on their
fines.
The sentence of Rose was carried out to the end, but Governor Samuel
J. Kirkwood. in 1878, pardoned Udell a few months before his time had
expired on account of his disease, consumption, which, it was believed.
would carrv him from earth within a short time. Thus were the ends of
justice met. and thus ended the career of two noted western criminals.
THE OVERTUKXIXG OF A STAGE COACH.
A ])ublic meeting was once broken up l)y an accident that could not well
happen nowadays. The only i)ublic conveyance then was the old-fashioned
stage coach which passed through Newton a couple of times a day, and some-
times several of them together. They used to stop at the old Phelps House.
398 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
a tour-r;torv liostelrv on the south side of the piibHc sciiiare. The (h-ivers
hked to attract attention, and wonld sometimes drive in with their four
horses on the run and turn up in the hotel door in grand style. One driver
made too short a turn and upset his \ehicle. The round, heavy body of the
coach broke loose from its fastenings and rolled across the street, like a huge
pumpkin. The numerous passengers were packed in so tightly that they did
not receive a shaking up. They were like so many sardines in a can. B. F.
Allen, the noted banker of Des ]^Ioines. the only Iowa millionaire at the
time, was a passenger, and had to share the delights of pioneer tra\el with
the rest.
A GRAND JURY INCIDENT.
An incident is told of the grand jury room, that illustrates the dififi-
culty that is sometimes met with in the enforcement of law. It prol)ably
leaked out through the keyhole. The jurymen were discussing among them-
selves how they could secure evidence that would lead to the conxiction of
certain well known liquor dealers. One of their number, who was a drink-
ing man, but a good citizen, remarked that they had ought to make inquiry
of a certain man. as probably he knew more about it than anv man in the
county. He was brought in and duly interrogated, as to whether he knew
of any place where li((uor was sold or had been sold, as a be\erage, or of
anyone who had bought and sold. To all these questions he replied in the
negative. The gentleman who had suggested his name took him in hand,
anfl inquired whether he could remember at a certain place on the street, a
short time before, one of the witnesses remarking that he was going to get
some liquor, and after going away soon returned with some. But although
he strained his memory until it almost cracked, he was unable to recall it.
He was then asked, somewhat hotly, whether he could remember of their
having drank together, at any time, or at any place. He cheerfully replied
that he did not. Whereupon the juryman proceeded to express his opinion
of him in a wav that made the air seem blue!
VKNTRTT.OOT'I.SM.
From some of the early day incidents, of an historic character, and
possibly worthy of preser\ation in a history of Jasper count)', where it oc-
curred, is the following:
During the fall of i«^43, perhaps in Octoloer. two strangers, young men.
sto])ped at Adam Tool's house for the night. They said they were from St.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
399
Louis. 'J'liey were dressed in l)uckskin trousers and lumting skirts nicely
fringed with the same material. After supper all were sitting around the
campfire. One of the strangers stepped back from the circle. Soon sounds
canie from the roadside like one in distress. The stranger called for a lan-
tern, the man ])y the roadside saying his horse was down, and was crving
for assistance. The lantern secured, the stranger, accompanied hv James A..
started to assist the horseman, but when they arrived at the spot from whence
the sounds had proceeded, the stranger called out. "Where are you?" "'Here,
a h'ttle ways off! Come quick!"' was the answer. Running about in this
manner for a time, the stranger remarked. "The fellow must l>e drunk. We
won't go any farther." and returned to the fire. In half an hour or so there
was a call in another direction The stranger was again interested, and with
lantern in hand, again accompanied by James, the}' started to assist him.
Soon after. James discovered there was a trick in this, and ventured to say
he believed it was a Aentriloquist. and explained to the stranger, at his re-
Cjuest. what a Aentriloquist was. They soon returned to the tire. The
stranger, dropping behind James, barked like a dog and caught him by the
pants leg. By this time the women folks had retired for the night, and after
the lights were blown out, all sorts of barnyard noises proceeded from this
man's couch, chickens crowed, cats squalled and babies cried, the rest of the
fami]\- not understanding the joke until tlie following morning.
THE VALERIA CYCLONE. 1 896.
The most disastrous wind-storm, taking the form of a cyclone, that
ever passed through Jasper county, since white men have known it. was the
one which struck A'aleria, Mingo and vicinity on Sunday night. May 24.
1896. There were many accounts written of this storm, as seen from
various view-points, but we have chosen the account as published in the
Xcwtoii Journal the week of the storm, the facts of which here follow :
There were twentv-one killed, outright. It occurred about eight o'clock
in the e\ening. after a very sultry Sunday afternoon. The dead included the
following: Afr. and ]\Irs. Charles Phalen and children. Charlie, Mike, Susie,
^^lollie and l")an. Charles Phalen. the husband and father, was a wealthy
farmer and large land-owner in the neighborhood of Valeria, and upon
hearing the roaring of the oncoming cyclone, the sound of which resembled
that of a train of freight cars rumbling rapidly over a wooden liridge.
started for a storm cave near by the house on his farm. He evidently had
one child under each arm in his flight. He was carried some forty feet and
400 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
dashed against a tree and instantly killed, as were also the children he had
witli him. The honse was completely demolished. The daughter Mary and
son Willie were blown fifty feet and they were the only ones of the house-
hold saved. \\'illie had his hip broken. The mother got as far as the mouth
of the ca\e and was there soon after found in a dying condition. The hogs,
chickens, calves and all other domestic animals were killed and badly mangled.
Other persons who were killed were Air. and ]\Irs. Peter Bolenburg
and an adopted daughter, eight years of age. Lucrctia \Miitney and Martha
Dickey, and the wife and son of D. Aiken and grandmother Shell. But few
persons were injured, aside from those killed outright. The head of ]\frs.
J.ucretia \\'hitney was so imbedded in the earth that it took the strength of
se\"eral persons to extricate it.
Most of the bodies of the deceased were fearfully mangled and must
have been killed instantly. ]\Iany were sleeping at the time and possibly had
no opportunit}" to save themselves from an awful death.
The house of Robert Bailey, two miles north of Bondurant, was com-
plete! v demolished and he and his wife and three children belonging to a
brother at Colfax were all killed outright. In and near Mingo, the storm
again did much damage and the property loss on farms was immense.
At Valeria, in the house of G. ^^^ Lacey, there were nine children. The
house was badly wrecked, but fortunately none were materially injured.
The house of Miss Sue Philson was completely turned over and the
ridge of the roof was thrown into the side of the next house to it, but
strange to relate, the occupants of the former were unharmed. It is stated
that the family started down stairs and arrived there just as the house
turned over and were obliged to go back up stairs in order to get out.
The Methodist Episcopal church at \'aleria was moved from its foun-
dation two feet and badly wrecked, while the Catholic church building was
totally demolished. In the priest's house the pastor of the church started
across the room as the storm struck the house, and only escaped by a few
inches a flying two-by-four scantling, which was sent through the window .
In the business portion of \'aleria village, Taylor Barker's hardware
building had its front blown in and mud and water covered the stock of
goods.
The residence of James Jones was entirely demolished, but the family
had escaped to a cave nearby.
The Knights of Pythias building, with a general stock on the first
floor, was completely smashed to pieces. The blacksmith shop of D. M.
JASPER COINTX, IOWA. 4O I
Ilhon was also mashed flat to the earth. The newly Iniilt creamery was
totally destroyed and its fixtures .strewn to the far-away fields.
The railroad depot had two sides l)lown in and a nearby bridge was
washed out. delaying all train service until the following afternoon. At the
time there were six young men and boys from Poweshiek township standing
in the depot and their fright was something they will always remember.
The public .school building west of town was blown to kindling wood, not
even a large section of the same being found in the neighborhood.
Solomon Dickey's farm house was actually lexeled to the ground, but
his wife and daughter were saved, with a few injuries. Harvev Pitcock.
south of Mingo, had his farm house ]jicked up and carried fifty feet and
landed in a ditch: his family were more or less injured. Charles Couche's
house, south from Mingo, was destroyed, while the familv esca])ed death bv
making their way to the storm cave.
Sol. Dickey was in bed with his little baby and was bl()wn to a brush
heap .'^ome distance. He was bruised badly, but the bal)e was uninjured. Five
were killed of this family.
The cloud has been Aariously described. From the point seen by many,
it appeared dark and inky, while in other directions it was reix)rted as being
white. The sound was awful. It was like falling water, or again seemed
like trains running at rapid speed over trestle-work bridges. Its form was
like a balloon or funnel-shaped, and it bounded along to and from the sur-
face of the earth. There were many wells in the pathway of the storm, all
of which liad their waters sucked from them as if by a huge jjunij). An
apple orchard, west of \'aleria, was completely uprooted. At another point
a w hole Osage orange hedge was taken up. roots and all. In the depot yards
at \'aleria. there were steel rails twisted into all kinds of shape, and in one
instance manv will still recall tlie strange sight of a steel rail thirty-two feet
long. dri\en int() the hard earth a depth of fourteen feet, in a perpendicular
position.
So distinct was the path of the .storm that one-half of mrmy forest trees
had their entire foliage and limbs cut off. while the remaining half was ap-
parently untouched. Chickens were seen picked clean of feathers, pin
feathers and all, while hogs had been beheaded as clean as if struck by a
sharpened ax.
Mondav and Tuesday, as well as for days afterwards, visitors came
from far and near to view the strange, yet ugly, sights made by this terrible
electric storm, which mowed in its certain path of death and .sure destruction.
(26)
402 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Manv, indeed, nearly every visitor, carried away some treasured relic of the
storm. The same evening there was a large water-spout in j\Iariposa town-
ship, this county, which caused property damage, but no loss of life. This
terrible wind-storm occurred the same week of the great St. Louis cyclone in
which so many lives were sacrificed, and when the Eads steel bridge over the
Mississippi river, between East St. Louis and the city proper, was partly
carried away. There have been other severe wind storms in Jasper county,
but none to compare with this one.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
INTERESTING REMINISCENCES.
The following reminiscences have been furnished by local writers and
extracted from the writings of men who have passed from earthlv scenes
anrl who in their day and generation were men of influence and wrote truly
and accurately concerning pioneer events which they themselves had wit-
nessed either as men or youth. Perhaps there will be found treasured here
much of interest to both the present and oncoming generations.
THE GREAT INDIAN SCARE.
Ballinger Aydelotte, who was one of Jasper count\ 's earliest justices
of the peace, a hardy pioneer, and a man of considerable ability as a descrip-
tive and historic writer, at various times, for numerous publications, gave
the facts as herein narrated, concerning the great Indian scare in Jasper and
adjoining counties away back in the days when the Indian was about to be
removed forever from this, his once happy hunting and fishing ground, to l>e
occupied by the white race :
"The Indians were moved from this country in 1846 by the governiuent
to western Kansas, except a few who were left on the reservation in Tama
county. A great many of them did not want to go, and the dragoons gath-
ered them to Fort Des Moines with a four-mule government team. W'e could
see a squad of dragoons with mule teams every day for two weeks hunting
Indians, catching them every day and hauling them to Des Moines. Most of
them were Avilling to go, and would pilot the dragoons and help catch those
who did not want to go. Those they did not find, gathered on the reserva-
tion in Tama county and stayed there, as the soldiers were sent to the war in
Mexico.
"Quite a number straggled back in the fall of 1848. They said: 'Mas-
quakie heap sick out there; all die if they stay there.' In June, 1849. they
came in gangs of thirties and forties. They were sullen and would not talk
or give the settlers any satisfaction, but went on to their reservation on Iowa
river in Tama county. By the Fourth of July they had all passed on. AlK)Ut
this time it began to be talked among the settlers that the Indians were going
404 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
to drive the whites out or kill them. This was talked of for a few days;
stories began to fly thick and fast of what the Indians were going to do.
None of these stories lost anything, but were generally enlarged, until noth-
ing else was talked of but Indians and their massacres. Everybody was
excited or scared. I saw men talk Indian till their teeth would chatter and
their knees knock together. The women and children were worse scared, if
possible than the men. Pretty soon some of the men took their families and
left. This started the tide, and they went thick and fast for a few days. All
went from some neighborhoods. They went to Mahaska. Jefiferson and Lee
counties. One company from the Clear Creek settlement came to town
and camped in the old court house, that stood on the northwest corner of the
square. It was then new. They had one or two-horse teams, the rest were oxen.
There were seven or eight families. Some time the next night the horses
got scared, commenced to snort, and rattled their chains. Some one yelled,
'The Indians are coming!* This started the screams of the women and chil-
dren. Wash. Logdon's wife fainted. This made matters worse, and such a
tumult as they had! 'Twas a time long to \)t rememl^ered. Over half of the
settlers in the county this side of Skunk river left. We felt lonesome after
so many had gone. Some contended all the time that there was no danger ;
but when the larger part of the settlers got scared and believed the reports,
there was no reasoning w itli them. Those who stayed would gather at some
house in the neighborhood at night. When they did not meet at my house I
would take my wife and little six-year-old bov to the place where they were
to meet, and go back home myself and get a good night's rest. I was no
braver than other men. but I did not believe there was any danger. I felt as
secure as I do today. The Indians were seen every day by the settlers in
small hunting parties, and fishing, and sometimes called at the houses to l^eg
for something to eat. Three of them called when I was awav from home.
They walked in without speaking, frightening mv little liov so he crawled
under the bed. and my wife could not speak. She was one of the scared ones
from the first, b^inally she a.sked if the Indians were .going to war with the
whites. The old Indian could not talk English, and he said. '^>s." Then
my wife said. 'You won't kill the innocent, will you?" *Yes, we will.' he
said. Then the little boy l:>egan to yell and cry. She then asked if there
were more Indians coming. He said. 'Yes. heap Musquakie comin' drunk.'
Then she thought sure she would l)e scalped in a few minutes. She then
said. 'White man come and kill Indian.' Then the Indians were scared as
bad as she was; they ran out of the house, jumped on their ponies, and went
off whipping and looking back as if they expected to see the white men after
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 405
them. They did not come to my house any more that summer or fall. As
soon as they were out of sight my wife and little lx)y hurried to the nearest
neighhors as fast as they could, expecting to see the drunken Indians any
time. When she told what the Indians said, the neighbors were badly
scared and su))posed they had got drunk to begin their butchering. The
news flew all over tlie settlement that the Indians had been to Avdelotte's
house and threatened to kill his wife and child, and scared her so bad that
she was not expected to live. Men came in from all over the settlement to
learn the truth. There were no drunken Indians seen or heard of. T sup-
pose the old Indian saw she was frightened and said what he did to frighten
her worse. There were no more Indians seen in our neighborhood during
the scare, but the talk and excitement went on, and several log forts were
built around some houses in the settlement, where women and children were
taken until the scare was over. In our settlement, after they had built their
fort and got their women and children in three or four days, two of the
women got into a quarrel over an old iron spoon. Thev then broke up and
went home.
"On Clear creek they built a fort around old Joe Hint's house. He was
one who believed there was no danger. He went on plowing corn and
working on his farm as usual, while the neighbors built the fort. They
threatened to tie and keep him in the house. He told them they were wel-
come to build the fort and bring their families there and stay as long as they
pleased, Init he must plow corn and take care of his own farm, for there was
no danger from the Indians. So the excitement went on. There was a com-
mittee of five appointed to go to the Indian village on Iowa river and find out,
if they could, whether the Indians were going to break out or not. Dr.
Rodgers, Joab Bennett, Brock Hammick. William Richie and Silas Dooley
were the committee who \n ent. They came back and reported that they had
been to the Indian camp, and seen the Indians at their homes, and they
.seemed verv friendly and sociable, and they gave no signs of hostility, and
thought there was no danger. In the meantime several petitions had been
gotten up in the different settlements and sent to the Governor at Iowa City,
requesting him to send militia and drive away the Indians. Finally the Gov-
ernor got so many of the petitions and found that the settlers were so excited
and neglecting their work, that he sent an officer with a squad of men and an
interpreter. Thev went and had a talk with the Indians. They found them
perfectlv ignorant of the scare among the whites: they knew .something was
wrong, but thev thought that the whites were going to war among them-
selves. When thev found out what was the matter thev were as badlv scared
4J(» JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
as the Avhites had been. They were afraid the government would drive them
back to Kansas, and that they would as soon die as go back there. From
that time on. they were \ery friendly to the whites. They committed no
depredations that were heard of. The worst they did was in scaring my
wife and son. The Governor sent out a statement that he had investigated
the matter and found the Indians peaceable and wanting to live at peace with
the whites, and there were no good grounds for the scare. This settled it.
and in a short time those who had left began to return, by one and twos. We
had a good deal of fun wanting to know when they would get their land
warrants for services in the "Indian war." and what they would take for
them. Thus ended the big Indian scare of 1849."
MEMORABLE WINTER OF 1 848-49.
Among the numerous historic items \\ritten at A'arious times by that
trustworthy pioneer, Ballinger Aydelotte. the following is worthy of perpetual
preservation in the county's annals :
"Tt was in the year 1848-49 that we had the 'deep snow,' so-called, be-
cause it was the deepest ever known up to or after that winter. The snow
began falling early in December, and on Christmas morning it measured
forty inches on the level all over the country. As there had been no wind,
there were no drifts. About the 27th there came a thaw and a fog and a
crust formed. A few neighbors made paths from one house to another, but
they were so far apart that most of the traveling was done on snow shoes
for three months. We had no good houses. All were small log cabins, with
cracks chinked and daubed with mud. The roofs and doors were made of
clapboards, with puncheon floors, so they did not lack ventilation. There
were no stoves in this country at that time. Wg had no mail for three
months, therefore no news from the outside \\orld. It was impossible to get
to the Oskaloosa mills. A few had tlieir milling done. Imt they were soon
out of breadstuff, and those who had none borrowed vmtil it was all gone. So
all were soon on an equality. The rule was to divide everything we had to
eat as long as it lasted. Several attempts were made to get to mill in Febru-
ary, but all failed, and it was not until the last of March that we got tlirough
with ox teams. So we had bread again, after li\ing on l)ro\\ning and boiling
corn and grating for over two months.
"After the crust formed on the snow, a man on snow shoes could catch
a deer in a short time, as the deer would go through the crusted snow evei-v
jump it made, and after a few jumps would give up. The wolves, being able
JASPER COrXTV, IOWA. 407
to run on the crust, caught a great many deer. One was started near William
Springer's house: it tried to run into the house, but the dogs caught it and
killed it in the yard. By the hrst of March deer got so poor one would not
kill them for meat and many starved.
'The Indians lost hundreds of ponies that winter by starving. The
snow that fell after the crust was formed was very light and every hard
wind the air was filled with snow so one could scarce see their hand before
them. At such times the snow would drift through the clapboard roof. And
it was no fun jumping out of bed some mornings with snow two or three
inches deep all over the house. After the hard blizzards the fine snow would
blow off from the prairies into the hollows, making some of the drifts thirty
and forty feet deep. I lived on Elk creek that winter.''
HARD WINTER OF 1 856-57.
All true lowans have experienced, or heard their parents tell of. the
terrible winter of 1856-57, when the snow, on a dead level, measured fully
thirty inches deep, and when the thermometer stood from ten to thirty-four
degrees below zero for weeks at a time. In November, 1856, it commenced
snowing and during that night it fell to the depth of eight inches. The regu-
lar rule that winter was five days of snowing and blowing and two days
fair and A'ery cold. Humanity and the iX)or half-starved animal kingdom suf-
fered greatly during that never-to-be-forgotten winter. This state of affairs
extended throughout the entire western country. Reader, imagine yourself
the head of a family, located three miles or more out on the prairie, where
no fuel could be procured, save by hauling a few logs at a time, over the
snow, from some timber ravine, and cutting it up for stove wood to keep
your family from perishing. This was the lot of hundreds who had sought
out a new home in the wilds of Jasper and other Iowa counties.
REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD COURT HOUSE.
By J. H. Fiigard.
There was once great rejoicing over the completion of a certain great
building, but some of the people wept when they remembered the glories of
the former house. We are now made glad by the completion of our splendid
new court house, but are not unmindful of the more modest structure that
once occupied its place. The old building stood for so many years in the
most prominent place in the county, and was such a familiar object, that
to manv its destruction came like a personal loss ; and the world almost
408 JASPER COUNTY. IOWA.
seemed like a lonesome place without it. It cost much less than the present
one. But land was then cheap and the people were poor. So that relatively
it was more expensive than the new buildini;". Its architecture was of no
mean order, and before it was marred by us^ly alterations and by the hand of
time, it was reallv a handsome building. When we were children some of
us thought that it was the grandest building in all the world. Its lofty
dome seemed to us almost to reach the sky, and when brave Joe Bowker,
the painter, once climbed upon it. and standing erect waved Old Glory to the
breeze our enthusiasm knew no bounds. But the crowning glory of our
former house consisted not in its stately columns and its classic frieze,
but in wealth of its history. Many of the princi])al happenings of the county
in its earlier \ears were connected with it, and much of our grand war
historv centers there. A multitude of thrilling scenes, patriotic and pathetic,
humorous and sensational, have occurred within and around it. Many
notable cases were tried there, and from its witness stand have been told
tales of the unraveling crime that were equal to the detective stones that are
told of Sherlock Holmes. ]\Iany worthy men there rendered faithful service
during their best years, and the lives of some of them doubtless were short-
ened bv its unhealthy atmosphere. Many an exciting political convention
was held there. And many a good man met his Waterloo, because of lack
of sufficient votes. Rival parties and contending factions have there met
and harmonized their differences, and like the wolf and the lamb have lain
down together, one of them inside the other. Those who tremble for the
safety of the country, because of the deadly breach between the progressives
and the stand-patters, should remember the big pow-wow when the fierce
"stalwarts" and the "mugwumps" ceased their defying warwhoops and to-
gether smoked the pipe of peace.
Not only was it a favorite place for local speakers to exercise their talents
but many state spell-binders, and not a few of national reputation have there
held forth. With what delight we have heard the eloquence of some of
them, both on the rostrum and at the bars, with vigor of thought and splen-
dor of diction they have striven to convince or instruct or inspire their
hearers. As T have listened to their well chosen words and well rounded
sentences, I have thought that I would rather l)e an orator than a king.
The court room was for many years the largest assem])K- hall in tlie
cotinty, and was the natural meeting place for large public gatherings. It was
often used for religious services. And in early days a number of funerals
w ere held there, among them that of Capt. Thomas H. Miller, who was mor-
tally wounded at Pittsburg Landing. His was the first soldier's funeral ever
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 4O9
held in Newton, and was lart^ely attended by people from all parts of the
county. Memorial services were also held there for our first martyr Presi-
dent, whom the people loved to call ''I"~ather Abraham." A great sanitary
fair was held during the war to raise money to buy supplies for the sick and
wounded soldiers. It lasted for several days, and many hundred dollars
were raised. People poured out their money lavishly for the good cause,
and paid fabulous prices for trilling articles, often handing them back to
be sold over again.
It seems incredible that men's better natures should be stirred by patriot-
ism that they would be willing to leave their families and business, and go
away for years and incur the dangers and hardships of war. By such devo-
tion, however, the I'nion was saved and we are enabled to enjov manv of
our present blessings. The old court house figured prominently in the davs
of the war, as many rallies were held there, and most of the volunteers
started from there for the front. Man}- heartbreaking scenes occurred as the
families and friends of the lirave men gathered about them to bid them what
in many cases proved to be their last goodbye.
Upon the breaking out of the rebellion, a numl^er of our citizens ex-
pressed a willingness to help put it down. Among them was Samuel Chap-
man, the town jeweler, who had seen service with Scott in Mexico, and who
\vas urged to take the lead in trying to get up a company. And a meeting
was called at the court house to discuss it. Earnest speeches were made by
several of the volunteers and others. Among the speakers was a young
Newton law student named S. H. M. Byers, now a prominent citizens of Des
Moines. He told in a manly way that he thought it was every man's duty to
be willing to obey his country's call, and that he had decided to offer his
services. And he closed by saying "Rome was once a mighty nation, and
so was Carthage. Rome fell and so did Carthage ; but shall these great
United States of America fall? Never, never, never.'' Afterwards while
confined in a rebel prison, he wrote a little poem entitled "Sherman's ^larch
to the Sea," and sent it home concealed in a wooden leg of a returning fellow
prisoner. And when he himself came home, he found that it had been set
to music and had made him famous.
Let me trv to describe another rally which was typical of all. It was on a
summer afternor)n in 1862, in the darkest days of the war. Dr. Ault had
received a commission authorizing him to raise what was afterwards Com-
pany C of the Twenty-second Iowa, and this meeting was for the purpose of
assisting him. Some one read the President's latest proclamation, calling for
three hundred thousand more troops. And a statement was made as to tlie
4IO JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
number that would be required from Iowa and from Jasper county. People's
hearts sank, for it seemed as if not another man could be spared, and the
number of black dresses to be seen told plainly what had been the fate of
many who had gone. Several citizens made brief remarks in regard to the
needs of the country. Then it was announced that those who wished to
volunteer could do so; and sixteen young men, mostly from Newton and
from the flower of our youth, went up to the judge's desk and signed the
enlistment paper, amid a silence broken only by the sobs of their parents and
friends. Among them were Jackson F. Newell and Thomas ]\I. Rodgers, the
vouthful editors of the Monitor, our first daily paper. Than Town,'send.
Rov Allum and ^lilt ^IcCord were also of the number: but the last named
was afterward transferred to his brother's company in the Twenty-eighth
Iowa.
During tlie next few years these sixteen young men had an opportunity
to learn the horrors of war and about half of them never returned. On the
bloodv 22d day of May, 1863, they were in that long line of blue that swept
up the heights at Vicksburg and was hurled back in defeat from the rebel
works, and men went down like grass before the mower. Among those that
fell that day were the Bair brothers and Jackson Newell and Johnny Green.
A HOME COMING.
It was a glad night in the old building when the boys of Company B,
Thirteenth Iowa, came home together on a furlough. The drums beat loudly,
and everybody shouted for joy as the sturdy veterans marched proudly into
the court room, and were seated at long tables laden with a royal feast. Those
were stirring times.
And many a fist fight occurred on the streets over discussions growing
out of the war. While a jollification was being held at the south front of
the court house, celebrating the victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, the
audience suddenly left their seats and ran to watch an angry crowd thump a
big fellow for having spoken disrespectfully of the government. There were
times when it seemed as if the seat of war was about to be transferred from
the cotton fields of the south to the corn fields of the north. .\ riot occurred
at a ])olitical meeting at Peoria in Mahaska county and many shots were
fired, and a returned soldier named Alloway was killed. The news, in a
greatly magnified form, reached here while a rally was in ])rogress at the
court house and caused a great sensation. Many a check turned pale when
it was reported that a battle had been fought on this side of Oskaloosa, and
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 4II
that two thousaiul rebels were niarchiiiL;- towards Xewton. At another time
the community was thrown into excitement over the news that the draft was
Ijeing resisted in I'oweshiek county, and that two United States marshals
had been ambushed and shot in the public highway. And again the long roll
sounded from the east steps calling out the home guards, like the minute
men of old, for immediate service.
Jasper county did its full part in standing loyally by the go\ernment in
those trying times. And it furnished far more men than the fiuota required
of it. At the first \\ ar meeting, before mentioned, a hope was expressed
that eighty-four -men could be secured so that they could form their own
organization. But several expressed doubts as to whether so many could
be raised in such a thinly settled county. But Captain Chapman afterwards
had the joy of marching out of the court yard at the head of his jasper
Grays, a hundred strong. And later on six more full companies were sent
and enough parts of companies and recruits to bring the whole number up to
about fifteen hundred men. And these citizen soldiers, unused to war's alarms,
served with great credit. Many of them saw active sen-ice, and some of
them witnessed struggles as terrific and slaughter as terrible as were exper-
ienced by the veterans who followed the leadership of the First Napoleon.
EARLY TIMES IN MOX'ND PRAIRIE.
The following reminiscence was written about a dozen years ago by
Seth W. Macy, wlio was a lad of thirteen summers when his parents settled
in Mound Prairie township, as it is now known among the civil sub-divisions
of the county :
On the 15th day of September, 1854, Jonathan W. Macy started from
Kingston, Indiana, with all his worldly goods, to move to Iowa. His effects
were loaded into two wagons, each drawn by a pair of horses. They arrived
at Tool's Point October 5th. We drove on three and a half miles to the
Col. S. B. Shelladv farm, then owned by Mr. Smart, and after father ex-
plained \\hat we wanted, he proceeded at once to empty the best room in the
house for us. What we needed for use in the house we unloaded and put
in order tliat night. The remainder of the goods were stored in the barn
except the large and well-filled tool chest, which was left in the wagon. The
first night in Jasper county was very agreeably spent, and we had everything
necessarv to our comfort. The next day. after dinner, father and I started
for our land, and to locate the spot where the first cabin was to be built,
on the northwest corner of section 19. ^^'e then drove on to the upper end
412 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
of Slaughter's (ii"o\e. where there were two log' cabins eight feet apart, the
space between roofed and enclosed. These cabins were occupied by John
and Edward Thomas, brothers. Ilie cabins were of logs with the bark left
on. They were chinked and dau]:)ed with mud, and each had a stick-and-mud
fire-place. Each brother had a wife and three children, two beds and trundle
beds, so that each had a spare bed for traxelers. We secured bed and board
with Ed Thomas until we could l>uild our cabin. The next day we went
down into the timlier for our first load of logs fcjr our new cabin. Father
cut the logs and loaded them and I hauled them out and unloaded them. I
was then but thirteen years old, and of necessity had to play the part of a
man. Six weeks later we moved into a \ery neat and comfortable hewed
log house, fourteen by sixteen feet, with a sawed oak floor.
Xow we have the cabin built, we will look around and see who li\ed in
Prairie Mound township. In passing up from Tool's Point over the old
Indian trail, we entered the township by coming onto section 33 from the
south. On the northeast quarter of this section lived E. R. Peck, who af-
terward became very well known by taking a great deal of interest in other
people's property. Just north of the Peck property, on the southeast quar-
ter of section j8, was another claim and cabin occupied by a Mr. Thomas.
These were all the improvements on the south side of the township.
On the east half of the northwest quarter of section 19, there was a small
cabin built the year l^efore by Riley Van Scoyac. who occupied the same
until 1857. when he sold to Isaiah Coomes who lived there for many years
and died on the farm. On this farm Mr. Coomes made the first crockery
in this portion of the country. Air. Van Scoyac's father lived south on the
east half of the southwest quarter of the same section, and sold about the
same time as his son to Daniel Shepherd. All of these places mentioned
thus far were so new that they had no grain or produce to sell. The Thomas
brothers of whom we have spoken lived on section i j. in what is now W^ash-
ington townshi]). Joseph Slaughter, who lived on section 5. ^^■as the first
settler in what is now Mound I'rairie township. He came here in 1845.
erected a cabin, went back east and returned with his familv in fhe spring
of 1846 and had a good farm in cultivation when we came, and ])lenty of
grain and stock.
Samuel K. Parker settled on section 4 in 1847. This was at the river
crossing, now the Ross farm. Mr. Parker had a saw mill on the ri\'er forty
rods below the river bridge, \\hich was then run by Robert ^\^arner, who we
still have Avith us one mile south of Colfax. In 1853. John Sumpter settled
on section 7, on what is now known as the Hartley farm. Mr. Sumpter was the
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 413
first justice of the peace in the township, and no better or truer man could
be found either then or ncnv for the place. 'J'his was all the permanent set-
tlers in the township except a few on the east side of the river, now known
as the Metz corner, where some very excellent people settled at an early date,
among them the two Miller families, George \V. and brother. The first
was L. D. Simms, who came in 1849, ^^i^" his son. S. S.. in 1831. James
John and G. W. Miller came in 1853. These are all that we know settled
in Mound Prairie township prior to 1854.
In every new country there are always quite a number of comers and
goers of a migratory disposition. They were here, but as I was a small boy
1 don't remember any of them.
Now we will look around a little, our postoftice was at Tool's Point,
our grist mill at Red Rock, our corn cracker at Indian creek, northeast of
Colfax, and all the merchandise had to be hauled in wagons from the Mis-
sissippi ri\er. What would you think of paying seven dollars per barrel for
salt and fifteen cents per pound for nails, and all other articles in proportion?
In the spring of 1856, an eastern Indiana farmer came out to look at
the country. He arrived at Fort Des ]^Ioines in the evening, and took a
little walk on Second street where the business was nearly all done. Seeing
some salt barrels in front of a grocery, he incjuired the price, and was told
seven dollars per barrel. "What! Seven dollars for a barrel of salt?" '"Yes."
responded the grocer. "Well, no country can be settled where salt costs
seven dollars per barrel." tie took the first stage for Keokuk and returned
home as soon as possible. Those that remained here, however, have seen
the Hawkeye state grow and develop until it is the grandest state in the
union.
A few years later, we are informed this same Indiana farmer heard
of the famous rock salt beds in Kansas, moved there and prospered.
The first grain cut with a machine was in iiS^^y. Jt was a Rugg ma-
chine, bought Ijy William Jordan, who owned a part of what was after-
wards the Jesse Long farm. Jonathan W. Macy afterward bought the ma-
chine and cut the grain in the township that harvest.
In 1856 Mr. Macy lx)ught .some registered shorthorn cattle of Milton
Wilson, who went through here from Wayne county, Indiana, to Madison
county. Iowa. Jonathan W. Macy was the originator of the Macy potato,
later called the White Me.shanoc. and of the potato industry which has made
the Prairie Citv famous. He was a pattern maker and millwright by trade,
and one of the most skilled and perfect mechanics that could be found in
any country. He built the first pile driver ever used in Jasper county. This
414 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
machine was fully half a century in advance of the age in which it was
built. See what J. R. Rodgers has to say of this machine. He helped drive
the first piles that were driven in the county with it.
Mr. Alacv made a set of carpenter's tools before his arrival here, such
as planes, bit stalks, screw clamps and a wooden bench vise, that would puzzle
the modern mechanic to construct and equal to many of those now made by
machinerv. most of which are now in my possession.
■'the kxow nothing" political party.
The present generation knows but little, if indeed anything, of what
was of political significance in the fifties in the way of a political party known
as the ''Know Nothings." It was represented from one end of the country
to the other and its chief principle was that it forbade the holding of office by
other than American-born citizens, all foreigners being excluded from hold-
ing anv office, either in county, state or nation. Naturally, a party advocat-
ing these principles must soon go down in a country like this.
In jasper county such a party had an existence for a season or more,
and has been well described by "Old Shady" (Joseph Arnold) in one of his
reminiscential stories which runs thus :
In 1855-6 there was organized in nearly every state in the Union a party
known as the Know Nothing party, the object of which was to keep all for-
eigners from holding office or taking any i)art whatsoe\er in the go\'ernment of
the United States. The meetings and lodges were held in secret, with armed
force if need be. to prevent any foreigners from entering or to know of the
Imsiness transacted.
This ga\e a fa\-oral)le opi)ortunity for crafty office seekers to manipulate
plans for their own elexation to office. A. T. Alt, the treasurer of the county,
whose first tenu was about to expire, wished to be elected for another term.
This he thought an opportunity to immortalize his name and secure his elec-
tion for a second term. He attended meetings in an adjoining countv which
was head(|uarters for Know Nothings and got the appointment to organize
lodges in Jasper county. He set a time and place and notified the leading
voters and foreigner haters that he would be down in L\nn Grove and or-
ganize a lodge and fit them up to do business. At that time there was a log
cabin in the midst of the woods located on .section 3, one-half mile north of
the home of John R. Sparks. In conformity with previous arrangements.
Sir Alt came down from Newton with tlie appliances to organize the Ameri-
can party of Know Nothings. About sunset there was a large gathering of
JASPER COUNTY. IOWA. 415
the voters of the township up in the woods near Sparks. About dark we
wended our way to the cabin. Alt called the house to order. The first thing
done was to place sentinels out to see that no foreigners should know of the
business or purpose of the meeting. All being ready, Alt unfurled the Stars
and Stripes, which made a fine display in that dark and forlorn place. In an
elaborate speech he told us of the danger that the United States was in from
the foreign element. After getting us fully awakened, he proceeded to in-
itiate us as members of this mystic organization. The initiation fee was
nominal, not exceeding one dollar for each one initiated. I well remember
the pass-word, "Have you seen Sam?" The sign was to take hold of vour
coat on the right side with all of your hand except the index finger, which
should be pointed straight out. Then the arm in a natural mo\ement to be
brought toward the left side, the index finger placed on the left breast near the
region of the heart.
After a general hand shaking this meeting closed about ten o'clock with-
out benediction. A. T. Alt was defeated, and soon the K'now Nothing partv,
in all the states, w as a thing of the past. This meeting was on Saturday night.
On Sunday morning I went to our little Quaker meeting and saw as soon as
I got into the yard. Jarvis Johnson. True to his trust, he gave me the sign bv
taking hold of his shadbelly Quaker coat with his right hand, bringing his
index finger near the region of the heart. T. true to my pledge, returned the
sign. We both saw we were brethren and no foreigner could have our sup-
port, for we were full-fledged Know Nothings, and the government still
stands.
GEN. JAMES B. WEAVER
BIOGRAPHICAL
GEN. JAMES BAIRD WEAVER.
Among the few surviving commissioned officers of the Civil war is the
man whose name heads this biographical notice, Gen. James B. Weaver,
whose gallant military career, as well as useful political record, is well known
to nearly every^ one within the borders of Iowa. His espousal of the cause
of reformation and temperance in this state will live in principle and be en-
acted into laws long after he has passed from earthly scenes. To have had
the courage to fight the battles of one's country, whether on the field of car-
nage, or by tongue and pen, as a wide-awake, forceful writer and speaker in
the great national political arena, is indeed a fit legacy to bequeath to future
generations.
Mr. Weaver was born June 12, 1833, at Dayton, Ohio, and was educated
in the common schools of early Iowa. He drove an ox team across the great
plains of the \^^est from Davis county, Iowa, to Sacramento City, California,
in 1853. He returned via Panama and New York the same autumn, and
clerked for Edwin Planning at B()na])arte, Iowa, in the winter of 1853-4.
The following spring he began his long cherished study of the law in the office
of S. G. McAchran, at Bloomfield. Iowa. He then attended law school at the
Cincinnati College and graduated as a Bachelor of Law in 1855. On the
board of examiners was Rutherford B. Hayes, who long afterward became
President of the L'nited States. He then returned to Bloomfield, Iowa, and
was there admitted to the bar under Judge H. B. Hendershott, and entered
upon the practice of his profession and continued therein actively until the
spring of 1861, when he entered the Union army as a private soldier in Com-
pany G. Second Iowa Infantry Regiment. He was elected first lieutenant
and served in that capacity through the battles of Forts Donelson and Shiloh,
and until the morning of the first day's battle at Corinth, Mississippi, when he
was promoted to the rank of major. His commission as major came to him
as a great surprise on the morning of the first day's battle. He had no inti-
mation of his having been recommended for this position and was in no sense
(27)
_l^i^v; jAsrp:R coiXTV. iowa.
a candidate for that honor. Jn this he was promoted over all the captains
of his regiment. The first day of that fierce engagement his colonel, James
Baker, was killed, and at the first volley in the morning of the second day's
fight his lieutenant-colonel, Noah W. Mills, was mortally wounded. The next
morning he was unanimoush- chosen colonel of the regiment by the officers
and was duly commissioned by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood. Subsequently,
he w as breveted brigadier-general by President Lincoln.
After the conflict of that great civil war had ended. General Weaver re-
turned to Bloomfield. Iowa, and again resumed the practice of law, and in
1866 was elected district attorney of the second judicial district, which w-as
composed of seven counties. The term lasted four years and during that
time and two years longer he also held the office of United States assessor of
internal revenue for the first district of Iowa. When his term of office had
expired he again entered the general law practice, meantime taking an active
])art in even' political camjiaign as a Republican. Before the war he had
edited a weekly new^spaper for a time and in many ways this became useful to
him in after life. He also edited the lozca Tribune, of Des Moines, several
years and it had a national circulation.
In 1875 he was before the Republican state convention as a candidate
for the governorship of Iowa, and on the very morning of the convention it
seemed certain to all that he would be the nominee, but on account of his
antagonism to the liquor interests in the state and his uncompromising tem-
perance principles, the liquor license men of the convention secretly organized
a movement to bring out the name of Samuel J. Kirkwood, the old "War
Go\'ernor," and against that grand old man's wishes they presented his name
in dramatic manner and by a pre-arranged plan had a tremendous applause
and cheering started in the convention hall which swept the convention off
their feet and at the last moment diverted from General Weaver's strength
to nominate Kirkw^ood. The majority of Iowa voters desired to make him
governor, but the men at the convention were swerved from the path of honor
and political duty.
But Weaver was to be heard from again. In 1878 he was elected to
Congress from the sixth district in Iowa, on the independent, or so-called
Greenback ])arty platform, defeating Judge Sampson. In 1880 he was nomi-
nated by the national Greenl)ack party for President of the United States and
polled over three hundred thousand votes, after having made an extended can-
\ass both North and South. In 1882 he again l^ecame a candidate for Congress
in a triangular fight, and w^as defeated by Hon. M. E. Cutts, though General
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 419
Weaver, having started in third, came out second best in the spirited contest.
But he did not give it up. In 1884 he defeated Hon. Frank Campbell by a
close margin, that of only sixty-six votes. Again in 1886 he was elected to a
seat in Congress over John A. Donnel, I^epublican candidate. In 1888 Mr.
Weaver was defeated by Hon. John F. Lacey.
In 1892, twelve years after his first Presidential race, he was again nomi-
nated for President of the United States by the Populist party, and ix)lled over
one million votes, receiving twenty-two electoral votes, notably those of Kan-
sas, Colorado and Nevada. During this campaign he canvassed the whole
country from sea to sea and from the lakes to the gulf. He is the only third
party candidate since Gen. John C. Fremont who has ever been able to force
his way into the electoral college, a victory that cannot be effaced. He still
takes an active part in politics and religious work. He has long been identi-
fied with the Methodist Episcopal church.
General Weaver was a delegate to the Democratic national convention
of 1904 and a member of the committee on platform. In 1900 he made the
fight of his life in the St. Louis Populist national convention and secured the
endorsement of W. J. Bryan by that convention. As a token of regard, Mr.
Bryan dedicated his book "The First Battle" to three men, Bland, of Missouri,
Teller, of Colorado, and J. B. Weaver, of Iowa.
Of late years General Weaver takes but little part in the practice of law,
but is still very active on the stump when his heart is in the cause. In the
campaign of 1908 he spoke from two to four times each day until the last
night of the campaign. He is still hale, hearty and active. It should be
added that his work in Congress was marked by great force and constant
conflict. His battle for the opening of Oklahoma is unparalleled. For nearly
one week, solitary and alone, he held up the House of Representatives until
they were forced to pass that righteous bill. Remember, he stood alone upon
the floor of the House in that struggle. That record stands unparalleled in all
our parliamentary history. He had been prepared for this service by his con-
flicts at the bar where he met in fierce combat such men as Trimble, Knapp.
Perry, Miller. Burton, Hendershott, Jones. Harris and all of the great men
of the Iowa bar of that day.
General Weaver has truly been foremost in the advocacy of every refomi
now urged by the progressives of both parties of the present day. His speeches
in Congress, his book "A Call to Action," published in 1892. and the platforms
upon which he ran twice for President of the United States, establish this
l)eyond doubt. If there ever was a representative in Congress from this com-
monwealth true to his honest convictions, it was the gentleman of whom this
_j^20 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
sketch is written, and these points of excellency are being more and more
realized as the years come and go in the political histoiy of this country.
Whether one views the venerable General from the standpoint of a brave
soldier on the field of terrible conflict in the Southland ; in the halls of national
Congress; in state and national conventions; on the stump, the lecture plat-
form, before the bar, or among his own home people, at his humble home in
the beautiful city of Colfax, he is always and ever the same true, loyal, abid-
ing friend to the great throng of American commoners.
That his services have been appreciated by many of his fellow-country-
men, it only needs to be referred to that in 1908, after the smoke of political
l)attle had cleared away, his scores of admirers in Iowa had painted an heroic
life-size oil portrait of General Weaver, and publicly presented it to the art
gallery in the Iowa State Historical rooms at Des Moines. Upon that oc-
casion scores of friends sent letters of congratulation to him, the same being
iinally neatly bound and presented to him as a tribute of respect and honor.
v'Dne of these letters (too lengthy to here insert) was from the pen of ''Ret"
Clarkson, formerly of the State Register, who lived in New York city and
could not be present. But one section of this letter should here be given
]:lace, showing a trait of character not yet brought out concerning General
W'eaver :
'Tt may be said of General Weaver that he has achieved in all the larger
helds except that of commercial success and money-making. His failure in
that is to be credited to his generous nature and his life-long desire to help
others rather than himself. Had he not looked to the interest of others all
his life, more than to his own, he by his profession and oratoiy could have
amassed a fortune.
"I regretted he was not nominated for governor, instead of Kirkwood;
he had fairly earned the position and a majority of the people of Iowa wanted
him nominated."
Mr. Weaver was married in July, 1858, at Keosauqua, Iowa, to Miss
Clara Vinson, an Ohio girl, and by this union nine children were born, eight of
whom are living, viz: Maude, J. B., Jr.. Susan, Abraham C, Laura, Ruth,
Esther, Paul and another son who died in infancy.
Addenda. — Since the foregoing sketch was prepared. General Weaver
passed away on Tuesday afternoon, February 6, 19 12, while visiting at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. H. C. Evans, in Des Moines. Though he
had been ill for a couple of days, suffering severely from an attack of
acute indigestion, it was not thought his condition was critical, and his sud-
<:cn death came as a profound shock to the whole community in which the
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 421
General had for so many years been a familiai '^ jjiire. Funeral ser\'ices were
held at the First ]^Iethodist Episcopal church, Des Moines, where the body
lay in state for several hours prior to the services. The Rev. Dr. Pruitt, of
Colfax, General Weaver's pastor, was in charge of the services, and the Rev.
O. W. Fifer and Rev. Father James Xugent made appropriate addresses,
touching eloquently on the life and character of the deceased. The active
pallbearers were the two sons, J. B. Weaver, Jr., and A. C. Weaver, three
sons-in-laws, Charles Sullenberger. of Colfax, Edward Cohart, of Traer, and
S. C. Evans, and a nephew, D. H. Payne, of Bloomfield. Honorary pall-
bearers were survivors of the Second Iowa, the General's old regiment.
JUDGE WILLL\AI G. CLE^IEXTS.
Standing out distinctly as one of the central figures of the judiciary
of Iowa is the name of Hon. ^^'illiam G. Clements, of Xewton, Jasper county,
the able and popular retiring judge of the sixth judicial district of Iowa, com-
prising Jasper. Poweshiek, Mahaska, Keokuk and \\'ashington counties.
Prominent in legal circles and equally so in public matters beyond the con-
fines of his own jurisdiction, with a reputation in one of the most exacting
of professions that has won him a name for distinguished service second to
none of his contemporaries, there is today no more prominent or influential
man in the district which he has long honored by his citizenship. Achieving
success in the courts at an age when most young men are just entering upon
the formative period of their lives, wearing the judicial ermine with becom-
ing dignity and bringing to every case submitted to him a clearness of per-
ception and readv power of analysis characteristic of the learned jurist, his
name and work for years have been allied with the legal institutions, public
enterprises and political interests of the state in such a way as to earn him
recognition as one of the distinguished citizens in a locality noted for the
high order of its talent. A high purpose and an unconquerable will, vigorous
mental powers, diligent study and devotion to duty are some of the means
by which he has made himself eminently useful, and every ambitious youth
who fights the battle of life with the prospect of ultimate success may peruse
with profit the biography herewith presented.
Judge Clements was born January 2. 1847. near Flushing. Belmont
county. Ohio. He is the son of a sterling old family of the Buckeye state,
his parents. John R. and ^^lalinda ( Ramage) Clements, being natives of Bel-
^22 JASrpR rOUXTV. U)\VA.
mont countv, m which ihey ^.ew to maturity, received their education and
were married, beginning life on a farm. In October, 1855, they came to
Jasper county, Iowa, and settled first in Monroe, where they remained three
years, then took possession of an undeveloped farm northeast of Xew'ton,
where they became well established and well known, the father dying there
on November 17. 1888, being survived by his wife, who is now eighty-six
years old and is living with her son at Harvey, Iowa. ^Ir. Clements was an
ardent anti-slavery man. and he was a "conductor" on the "underground rail-
road" through Iowa before the war. There were six children in his family,
namelv: William G., of this review: James :\I. lives in Helena, ^Montana,
and is judge of the district court there, having held this position for eight
vears; L. R. is a manufacturer of excelsior at Harvey, Iowa; O. J.
lives at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is in the transfer business; John S. is
an engineer and lives at Ames. Iowa; Josie died in 1885 at the age of eighteen
years. It is a singular fact that the five sons are all living, the youngest being
past fifty-four.
The Clements family is of Scotch-Irish lineage. Grandfather James
Clements settled in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1803 and began life there as a
pioneer. He was born in Maryland and w^as a fuller by trade. He married
Eliza Merritt and they became the parents of nine children. Josiah ^Nlerritt,
the Judge's great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, hav-
ing enlisted from Pennsyhania, and he became a sergeant. On the maternal
side, the great-grandfather, William Ramage, Sr., was also a soldier in the
war for independence, having enlisted from New Jersey, and he settled in
Ohio in 1802. His son, William Ramage. Jr.. was the grandfather of Judge
Clements, and he was a soldier in the war of 1812. He came to Iowa with
his son-in-law^ father of the subject, and lived here until his death, at the age
of eighty, on March 17. 1874. and he is buried at Monroe, Jasper county.
William G. Clements was eight years of age when he accompanied his
parents to Jasper county, Iowa, in 1855. He received his primary education
in the common schools of Monroe and in the rural schools north of Newton
and at the old College Farm, or ^^'ittemberg College, near Newton. This
was supplemented by a course in Grinnell College. Grinnell, Iowa ; he w^as
also graduated from the low^a Business College at Des Moines. For a few
years he taught school, and was later appointed deputy county recorder, in
the meantime beginning the study of law under Judge O. C. Howe, who was
afterwards an instructor in the state law school. Thus he taught school and
studied law until November, 1869, when he was admitted to the bar. In the
spring of 1870 he began the practice of law at Prairie City, having formed a
JASPER COLXTV, IOWA. 423
partnership with Sidney \\'illiani>. which lasted two years. While there he
was mayor of that town for one year. In 1876 he formed a partnership with
Hon. B. C. Ward, which existed for eighteen years Leaving Prairie City
in 1887, where he had built up a very satisfactory clientele, he removed to
Xewton, in order to secure a broader held for the exercise of his talents,
maintaining an office also at Prairie City until 1893 ^^ 1^88 he was elected
county attorney, and he performed his duties in such a commendable manner
that he was re-elected in 1890, serving four years. He continued to practice
law until 1898, his career presenting a series of continued successes such as
few lawyers achieve. As a careful and painstaking student he has availed
himself of every opportunity to familiarize himself with his profession in
its ever}- detail to the end that he might better serve his fellow men and render
justice to those who appeal to the courts for redress.
Judge Clements is a Republican and as such has been active in public and
political affairs and an intiuential force in his party not only in local matters
but in the larger and more important theater of state and national affairs.
He comes of Republican ancestors, but he does not attribute to this fact his
strict adherence to the principles which he supports, but rather to history,
also to reflection, judgment and conscience, all of which have combined to
make him not only an able and judicious counselor, but a moulder of opinion
and leader of men in what concerns the best interests of the body politic.
While loyal to his power to promote its success, he believes that a man can be
an earnest and active politician and yet be strictly honest in his methods and
above reproach in all that he does to ad\ance the interests of his cause. He
has ever acted upon the principle that he who serves his country best serves
his party best, and with this object in Aiew his political efforts, although
strenuous and in the highest degree intiuential and successful, have been above
the slightest suspicion of dishonor and his counsels ha\e not onl\- met with the
approval of his party associates but commanded the respect of the opposition
as well.
Partly as a reward for his nnseltish public service and partly because of
his universally recognized ability. Mr. Clements was elected judge of the
sixth judicial district in the fall of 1898, and his record was so highly satis-
factory tliat he was re-elected in 1902 ?.nd in 1906. making a continuous
service of twelve years, during which tin:e he was called upon to try many
important cases, one of which was the noted Sarah Kuhn murder case, in
which there was a state-wide interest and one of the most important ever
held in Keokuk county, in fact, was one of the noted poisoning cases of the
country. She was convicted and given a life sentence, which was affirmed by
^24 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
the supreme court, but she committed suicide in prison by swallowing con-
centrated lye. Another case was that of Chester Tyler, tried for the murder
of Dr. Benjamin Tailor, who was convicted and affirmed by the supreme
court and he died in prison, his case having been tried in Newton. The de-
cisions of Judge Clements shows a smaller percentage of reversals by the
supreme court than any other judge who has occupied the bench in this dis-
trict — reversed less by proportion of cases determined by the supreme court;
in fact, as a judge he more than met the expectations of his friends and the
public, and so discharged the duties of the office as to receive the hearty ap-
proval and warm commendation of the bar. in his own and other circuits.
without regard to party. He brought to the bench a dignity becoming the
high position, and in the line of duty has ever been industrious, careful and
singularlv painstaking, which, combined with his sterling honesty and fear-
lessness of purpose, made him one of the most efficient and popular men ever
called to preside over the courts of this district. Tt is but just to say, and
greatlv to his credit, that no political prejudice, bias or zeal was ever allowed
to deflect his mind from its honest convictions, and \vhile discharging his
official functions, personal ties and friendships, as well as his own interests
and opinions, were lost sight of in his conscientious efforts to render equal
and exact justice to those whose affairs were adjudicated in his court. His
opinions and decisions attested his eminent fitness for judicial positions, being
alwavs lucid, unstrained and vigorous, his statements full and comprehensive
and his analysis and interpretations of the law conspicuous and complete.
At the expiration of his term of office. Judge Clements resumed the
practice of law January t. rgri. in partnership with his son. He has always
stood high in Ins profession. Xo one knows better than he the necessity of
thorough preparation for the trial of cases, and no one more industriously
applies himself to meet the issue than he: he is uniformly courteous and
deferential to the court, and kind and forbearing to his adversaries. As a
speaker he is earnest and impressive.
The Judge's domestic life began on February 6, 1871, when he was
united in marriage with Harriet T. Halferty. a lady of talent and culture, the
daughter of James F. Halferty. an influential citizen of Richland county,
Ohio, where ]\lrs Clements \\as born. This union has been blessed by the
birth of one son. Frank H. Clements, a popular and successful lawyer in
Xewton : he married Clara Rcwvcr and thev have one child. W^illiam B.
Clements.
The Judge has a beautiful, modern and attractive home in all its appoint-
ments at Xo. 200 Soutli A'ine street, where the nianv friends of tlic familv
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 425
frequently gather, tinding here genuine hospitahty and good cheer. Fra-
ternally, the Judge has been a Mason since 1869, and has attained the Knights
Templar degree; for five years he was master of Preston Lodge Xo. 218,
at Prairie City. He and his wife are members of the Congregationalist
church, of which the Judge was one time trustee and of which he has always
been a liberal supporter.
PERRY ENGLE, AI. D.
Deserving of a worthy and conspicuous place in the history of Jasper
county is Dr. Periy Engle, of Newton, whose active and eminently worthy
career, covering a residence of forty 3'ears in this locality, has been fraught
with much usefulness since he came to the community.
Doctor Engle was born near Findlay, Ohio, July 16, 1841, and he is the
second child of Jacob and Louisa (Probst) Engle, natives of the state of
Pennsylvania. He is one of seven children, was left an orphan when fifteen
years of age, and he began the study of medicine while working on a farm.
Pie afterward attended the University of Michigan, graduating from the
medical department of that institution with the class of 1871, supplementing
this by a course in the Long Island College at Brooklyn, New York, where
he also graduated. In 1872 he had charge of the Third Street Hospital in
Cincinnati. Ohio. Doctor Engle has been an honored resident of Newton
for many years and during this time has been a potent factor for the general
good of the community. He has held various local ofifices and always with
credit. In 1876 he established The Xezcfoii Herald and was its editor and
proprietor for twenty-four years. The Doctor is a fluent and forceful writer
and during his regime the editorial columns of the Herald reflected a brilliancy
rarely met with, and his paper grew to be one of the jeading journals of cen-
tral Iowa, under his judicious management. In 1887 he established the lozin
Refercnduui, this being the first ])aper in America that advocated the initiative
and referendum.
In 1889 Doctor Engle was nominated for state senator liy the Union
Labor party and was afterwards nominated by the Democrats. In the latter
campaign his seemed to be a hopeless fight, as Jasper county was strongly
Republican, but he was elected by about two hundred majority, which is
evidentlv criterion enough of his high standing in the county. He was the
first man elected to the Legislature from Jasper county in opposition to the
Republican nominee. He served in the twenty-third and twenty-fourth Gen-
_^2(, JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
eral Assemblies, and was a commanding figure in that distinguished body,
ahvavs making his inliuence felt for the good of his county and state and
proving his sagacity in civic affairs and the wisdom of his constituents in
selecting him for such an important office. In the twenty-third General As-
sembly he introduced a bill for the Australian ballot, which was finally merged
into a committee bill and e\entnally became a law. He also introduced the
bill which established the Industrial School for the Blind, at Knoxville, Iowa,
which has since been made a home for inebriates. He was the People's
party candidate for Congress in 1892, and a candidate for lieutenant-governor
in 1901.
Doctor Engle is a man of fine learning and scholarly attainments. A
student of all that is richest and best in literature, his abode is a mecca for a
wide circle of friends who love to commune with one so profound in thought
and so delightful in entertainment. Possessing a heart mellowed by human
sympathy and having a keen appreciation of the great social conditions of our
day. he is an earnest advocate of such principles as may hasten the dawn of
the long-hoped-for brotherhood of man. He is a profound student and is a
vigorous investigator and has the courage of his investigations on all questions
on which men and parties divide — in fine, he is a splendid example of that
energetic, public spirited, genteel, virile, unassuming American manhood that
pushes forward the car of civilization.
The domestic life of Doctor Engle began in 1871 when he was united
in marriage with Kate Madison, and to this union two children were born.
Dr. Harry P. Engle, an eye. ear and nose specialist who is practicing in New-
ton, and Bert J. Engle, an attorney. Thev are both graduates of the Iowa
State L'niversity, and are young men of much promise.
TOE HORN.
In nearly every community are to be found indixiduals wlio, 1)\- iimate
ability and sheer force of character, rise above their fellows and win for
themselves conspicuous places in public esteem. Such an one is the well
known gentleman whose name appears above, a man who has been identified
with the history of Jasper county for many years, during which time his life
has been closely interwoven with the material growth and development of
the county, wielding a potent influence in financial circles, while his career as
a progressive .man of affairs has been synonymous with all that is lionorable
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 427
and upright in citizenship. In all life's relations he has conmianded the re-
spect and confidence of those with whom he has been thrown into contact
and his friends are in number as his acquaintances, for he is, with all of his
genial disposition, business acumen and commendable traits, entirely unas-
suming.
Joe Horn, president of the Citizens' State Bank, at Xewton, is the scion
of a sterling old family of the Keystone state, and he himself was born in
Bedford county, Penns\lvania, April i6. 1855; he is the son of Frederick
and Ann (Long) Horn, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew to
maturity, were educated and married. They came to Cedar countv, Iowa, in
1855, where they lived on a farm for twelve years, becoming quite well
established and Avell known in that community and then removed to Kansas
where they remained one year, then came back to Cedar county, Iowa, for
a short time, later removing to Knox county, Illinois, where the father's death
occurred in 1866, the mother surviving until 1895, reaching an advanced age.
They were the parents of eight children, six of whom are living, namely :
Lydia, wife of A. D. Briggs, of I'nion county, Iowa; Joe, of this review;
Ella, wife of James Goddard, of Union City, Iowa; Eliza, wife of James
Adams, of Kansas City, Missouri; Minnie is the wife of Henry Rayl. of
Union City ; M. D. lives in Jasper county.
Joe Horn was reared on the farm where he lived until fourteen years ago.
1897. He received a good common school education, which has since been
supplemented by general home study and actual contact with the business
world. He maintained a fine farm in Richland township, this county, which,
under his able management, yielded rich harvests from year to year and he
also handled a good grade of live stock of various kinds, being known for
many years as one of the progressive agriculturists of his township, and there
he maintained his home until he became deputy county auditor in 1897, which
position he held verv creditably for two years, being elected auditor in 1899
on the Republican ticket, and he gave such eminent satisfaction that he was
re-elected, serving four years in a manner that reflected much credit upon
his abilitv as a conscientious, painstaking public servant and won the hearty
approval of all concerned. After his tenure of oftice had expired Mr. Horn
opened a real estate ofiice, which he continued for two years, then became
cashier of the Citizens State Bank at Newton; a year later he was made vice-
president, having in that time given conclusive evidence of a peculiar and
rare abilitv as a financier, and in 19 10 he became president, the duties of
which he has continued to discharge in an able and conservative manner,
rendering this one of the soundest, most popular and safest institutions of
its kind in central Iowa.
_j^jS JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
On November 2=,, 1880. Air. Horn was married to Margaret A. Koons.
daughter of Felix and Agnes (Ragan) Koons. She was born of an excellent
faniilv in Knox county, Illinois, and she is a woman of many pleasing char-
acteristics which have gained for her a wide circle of friends.
Six children have been born to Mr. and ]\Irs. Horn, namely: Allen
Roy: Fav is deputy recorder: Edna is the wife of Alva Griffin, of Newton;
Ethel is a stenographer in the ])ank with her father; Walter L. is a student
in the agricultural college at Ames, Iowa : Hollis is attending school. Fra-
ternallv. Mr. Horn is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Horn has been very successful in business, being energetic, a keen
observer and a good manager. He is a stockholder and director, also treas-
urer in the Newton Disc Plow Company. He is also director and treasurer
of the American Construction Company at Newton. In each of these rapidly-
growing concerns he is a potent factor, and owing to his scrupulously honest
methods and his genial address he has won the esteem and good will of the
people of Jasper county.
EMMET AV/TRY
The march of improvement is accelerated day by day, and each successive
moment seems to demand of men a broader intelligence and a greater discern-
ment than did the preceding, showing that successful men must be live men in
this age, bristling with activity. The purpose of biography is to preserve the
records of such men for the edification of succeeding generations; thus the
lesson of biography may be far-reaching to an extent not superficially evident.
A man's reputation is the property of the world, for the laws of nature have
forbidden isolation. Every human being either submits to or rises above the
controlling influence which touches, controls, guides or misdirects others. If
he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor, investigation will
brighten his reputation and point the way along which others may follow with
like success. The career of Emmet Awtry, well known business man of
Sully, Jasper county, is of that class of enterprising citizens whose example
is calculated to be an incentive to others, for his efforts have met with a fair
measure of success in life's affairs.
Mr. Awtry was born in Marion county, Iowa. July 29, 1873, the son of
Simon P. and Margaret A. (Flaugh) Awtry, the father born in Kentucky and
the mother in Ohio, and they came to Iowa in a very early day, and the ma-
ternal grandparents, Elisha and Tissue Flaugh, who were natives of Ohio,
came to Jasper county, Iowa, when the country was wild and settlers few.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 429
It is believed that they entered land from the government and here they estab-
hshed a good home, after the usual hard work and discomfiture, and here
spent the rest of their lives, reared a family and took a leading part in the
county's affairs. Air. Flaugh was a surveyor and, there being a great deal of
this work done in his day, he was kept busy, though he managed to operate
successfully his one hundred and sixty acre farm. Giles Awtry, the paternal
grandfather, was also a pioneer of Iowa, he having come from Kentucky to
Lick Prairie township, Alarion county, and there entered government land.
He was a cooper by trade, which he followed in connection with farming and
he became an influential citizen in that county. On his farm the father of the
immediate subject of this sketch grew up and when the Cvil war came on he
enlisted for service in the Federal army, in Company C, Fifteenth Iowa \'olun-
teer Infantry, in which he served very faithfully for three years and ten
months. He was wounded at the battle of Shiloh and came home on a fur-
lough, after which he returned to his regiment and served out his time, re-
ceiving an honorable discharge. After coming back to low^a from his arm\-
career he was married and soon afterwards began farming, buying a part of
his father's homestead. Through close application and good management he
prospered from year to year and added to his holdings until at the time of his
death, on July 25, 1891, he ow^ned four hundred and forty acres of valuable
land, which he had brought up to a high state of improvement and cultivation.
His widow survived until in August, 1910. Simon P. Awtry led a quiet home
life, preferring to give his attention to his farm and his family rather than
seek precarious public honors. His wife was a member of the Christian
church, and known as a kind-hearted, noble-minded w^onian. Their family
consisted of eight children, six of whom are living at this waiting.
Emmet Awtry grew up in Marion county, assisted his father with the
general work about the place and received his education in the public schools
there, and there he took up farming, w-hich he followed for a period of five
years, getting a good start the meanwhile. In September, 1902, he came to
Sully, Jasper county, and there entered the live stock business with Alacev
Brothers & Gove. Mr. Gove having later retired, the Maceys and Mr. Awtry
are conducting the business, which has assumed extensive proportions and thev
are widely known over this locality, in fact, are among the leading and most
successful stock men in this section of Iowa.
Politically. Mr. Awtry is a Republican, and he has served his township as
trustee.
In March, 1897, occurred the marriage of Mr. Awtry with Xellie C. Boat,
a native of Marion county. Iowa, and the daughter of a highly respected fam-
ily. This union has been blessed by the birth of one child, Margaret.
4^0 JASPER COUNTV, IOWA.
JUDSON H. FUGARD.
Mr. Fugard was born at Bellville, Richland county. Ohio. I'"e1)ruary 14.
1850. and is the son of John F. and Angalina (Cowan) Fugard. His father's
people came from the Granite state, and his mother's from Maryland, and
were among the early settlers of Ohio. One of his ancestors was Rev.
Isaiah Stone, a prominent Baptist minister of New England. Another one
was Samuel Fugard, of Bedford, New Hampshire, who liad ([uite.a good
record as a Revolutionary soldier. He was a minute-man at the beginning
of the war, and accompanied the illfated winter expedition against Quebec.
He afterwards served for six years in the Continental line, or regulars, as a
member of the Sixth Company of the First New Hampshire Regiment, and
took part in the principal campaigns and battles of the war. He endured
the hardships of \'alley Forge, and was among the one thousand five hundred
picked men who crossed the Delaware river and attacked Trenton, on a night
so cold that two of their number froze to death. On this occasion his com-
pany was given the post of honor, by being selected to lead the advance and
capture the enemy's outposts, receiving great credit for their gallantry. After
his return from the war, he was granted a pension bv the Legislature. The
records state that he had been discharged as unfit for duty because worn out
in the service, and that a certificate had been given him by his excellency.
General Washington, stating that he was entitled to a pension.
Mr. Fugard's parents moved to Jasper county in 1855, and settled in
Buena Vista township eight miles southeast of Newton. The country was
then new and thinly settled, but they enjoyed pioneer life and did their full
share towards building up the community, by actively favoring those things
that were for the public good. Four children were born to them, three of
whom died in infancy. Noble J. Fugard, of Newton, grew from childhood
to honorable manhood in this home, and several other children also shared its
benefits for one or more years, so that it was often known as the ''Orphans'
Home." The farm on which the Fugard family first settled remained in their
possession for fifty years.
The father died at the age of sixty-three. His widow afterwards mar-
ried J. J. Young, who is now deceased. She makes her home with her son.
and, although past her eightieth year, she enjoys good health and takes an
active interest in affairs at home and abroad, and has learned the great secret
of how to grow old sweetlv.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 43 1
Judson Fugard grew to manhood on the farm, and knew the meaning of
hard work, performing his part in helping to develop the home place from its
raw state. He attended the public schools and Hazel Dell Academy and
graduated from the law department of the State University. He opened
an office in Newton and practiced for a number of years alone, and after-
wards was associated for some twenty years with A. F. Brown, Esq.. under
the firm name of Fugard & Brown. He still maintains a law office, but de-
votes a part of his time to looking after outside interests. Some years he
has had charge of as much as two thousand acres of farm lands belonging to
others. For several years he has been interested in dairying, and has a herd
of thirty cows, and a modern dairy barn and silo in a fine grove adjoining
town. Improved methods are used in caring for the dairy products, which
find a ready market.
On ]^Iarch 5, 1884. ]\Ir. Fugard was united in marriage with Ella Slem-
mons. a worthy young lady of Des Moines township. Her parents, Mr. and
[Mrs. Benjamin Slemmons. were highly esteemed people of that community.
They afterwards lived at Newton for a number of years, and then removed
to Mahaska county. Both are now deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Fugard still reside in the same home in which they com-
menced housekeeping. Two children have graced their union. John Reed.
the son. is twenty-four years old, and married Rowena Owen, an excellent
}onng lady of Piano. Illinois. He is a graduate of the Newton high school
and afterwards took a four-years course of study in the School of Archi-
tecture of the Illinois University. Upon his graduation from the latter insti-
tution, he was offered a position with a prominent architect of Chicago and
spent six months superintending the erection of some fine residences at
Princeton, New Jersey. He is now located in Chicago and doing well.
Florence Angelina, the daughter, is fifteen and is the light of her parents'
home.
]^Ir. Fugard and his family belong to the Newton Baptist church and
make four generations of their family that have been connected with it. He
is also a member of the Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
He is a Republican in poli.tics. and has served his party as secretar}- of the
county committee and in other capacities. At the time of the prohibitory
amendment campaign, he served for three years as secretary of the amend-
ment association and helped to thoroughly organize the county and carry
it for prohibition by nearly two thousand majority. He has achieved some
^32 JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
reputation as a writer, his articles possessing a quaint and interesting style,
full of humor and pathos. F'or several years he had charge of the local
work of the Newton Journal, was the Newton correspondent for the State
Register, and has done considerable work for other papers, among them the
Chicago Tribune.
Personally Mr. Fugard is a very pleasant gentleman to know, being
genteel in manners, unostentatious and obliging.
ROSS R. ^lOWRY.
It is with marked satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the life of
one who has had a successful career despite the somewhat discouraging and
unpromising circumstances at the outset. Such a life abounds in lesson and
incentive and cannot but prove a stimulus to those whose fortunes and destinies
are yet matters for the future to determine. Ross R. Mowry, one of the best
known of the younger attorneys of Jasper county, was ambitious to become
an attornev, but the way was not clear to him, so he made a way, studied hard,
worked his way through college and at an early age has made a record of
which anyone might well be proud, his career proving what honesty of purpose
and rightly applied energy may accomplish although in the face of obstacles.
Mr. Mowry was born in Clear Creek township, this county, March 5.
1882, of one of the highly respected old families of that part of the county,
being the son of John E. and Louisa (Wilkins) Mowry, both natives of Penn-
sylvania. The father devoted his life principally to farming, though he was for
some time engaged in the mercantile business at Baxter, Jasper county, in
which town he is now living retired. He is well known and has a host of
friends throughout the county. There were ten children in his famil}^ Ross
R., of this review, being the youngest. They are all living but one, who died
in infancy; they are: Florence, widow of Henry Kline, of Baxter, this county;
Alice, widow of David Cross, living near Colfax, Iowa ; Jesse lives at Nevada,
Missouri ; Julia is the wife of Fred Dodd, living near Baxter; William lives at
Marshalltown, Iowa; Ella Buchanan is the wife of J. M. Buchanan, living
near Colfax; Milton lives in Kansas City, Missouri; Anna is the wife of Carl
C. Webb, of Baxter; Ervin died in infancy; Ross R.
The last named spent his youth on the home farm and assisted with the
work about the place until he was fifteen years of age. He was always a
Cf^y^^ (K, Tn O^^J^
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA. 433
Student and he applied himself carefully to his text-hooks in the country
schools, later graduated from the high school at Baxter, with the class of
1900, then entered the State University at Iowa City, w-here he made an ex-
cellent record and from which institution he was graduated, in the law depart-
ment, in 1903. However, he fore entering the university he taught school for
a time; as already stated, he worked his way through the university. In the
spring of 1903 he w^as admitted to the bar when he was twenty-one years of
age. He began the practice of his profession at Baxter, where he remained
one year and was gaining a solid foothold, Ijut. seeking a wider held for the
exercise of his talents, he moved to Newton in 1905 and formed a partnership
with John E. Cross, which was dissolved in 1910. Mr. Mowry has figured
more or less prominently in local legal afifairs all the while, being regarded as a
A-ery strong young lawyer and he lias been very successful in all his legal work-
in the local courts.
In 1910 Mr. Mowry was the Repul)lican nominee for county attorney
and was duly elected at the ensuing election, and is now \er}- ably discharging
the duties of this office.
^Ir. Mowry was married on September 15. 1908. to Edith Matthews,
daughter of John L. Matthews, a well known citizen of Xewton. Mrs.
Mowry is a young, lady of education and many pleasing traits of character
which have long rendered her a fa\orite with a wide circle of friends. This
union has been graced by the liirth of one child, l^sther \'irginia. who was born
on November 8, 1909.
Fraternally, Mr. Mowry is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the
Modern Woodmen, and politicallv he is l(\val in liis support of the Republican
party.
The Mowry famrly is of (German slock, and the first sj)ecific record we
have of them in America is when thev settled in Pennsylvania in the early davs.
JOSEPH M. W'OODROW.
No business man in the city of Xewton is regarded with higher fa\-or
than the gentleman to a brief review of whose interesting career the reader's
attention is directed in the following paragraphs, Joseph M. Woodrow being
one of those public-spirited men who, while laboring to advance his own in-
terests along legitimate lines, does not neglect to discharge his duties in fos-
(28)
_|i_^ JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
teriiii;" the upbuilding of the cuninumity in general, and few men ha\e done
more to advance the material interests of Xewton than he. owing to his high
position in financial circles and his unswer\ing allegiance to the higher stand-
ards of living.
Mr. Woodrow. president of the Jasper County Bank and one of the sub-
stantial and representative men of Iowa, has been a resident of Jasper county
since 1865 and he has thus li\ed to see and take i)art in the wonderful trans-
formation of the same from a wild i)rairie country to a high rank in the
great Hawkeye commonwealth, taking a great pride in its progress and al-
wavs standing readv to support any worthy movement having as its object the
general welfare o\ his locality and state.
Mr. \\'oodrow is the scion of a sterling old family of the Empire state,
he himself having been born in Genesee county. Xew York, September 8,
1840. and he is the son of Benjamin and Frances ( Sprague ) Woodrow, the
father a native of England and the mother born in the state of Connecticut.
The former was a tailor by trade, and after spending his youth in his native
country, he emigrated to America in 1807 and became well established here.
Joseph M. WOodrow started in life for himself when twent}--one years
of age, working on a farm, by the month, in Illinois. Believing that the newer
state of Iowa held still greater advantages for one of his temperament, he
emigrated further west and in 1863 became a clerk in a store at Alt. Pleasant.
Iowa, where he remained until 1865. when he came to Jasper count}- and
launched out in the lx:)Ot and shoe business, the results of which were very
satisfactory. In the spring of 1869 he sold out and started a nursery, which
he operated successfully until 1883, when he sold out. Turning his attention
to banking, for wliich he seems to ha\e been best endowed by nature, in 1880
he became cashier of the Jasper County Bank at Newton. His close applica-
tion to his duties in this connection and his honest and conservative policy,
together with his uniform courteous treatment of the patrons of this institu-
tion, resulted in gradualb increasing its prestige and it 1)ecame one of the
popular and sound financial institutions in central Iowa. He became its
president in 1889, which position he has \ery abl\- and worthily discharged
to the i)resent time. l)ecoming one of the best known bank presidents of this
part of the state, managing the affairs of this institution with rare discretion
and foresight and kec])ing it on a sound and safe basis, so that it has been
amply able to weather all financial crises.
'["he douiestic life of Mr. Woodrow began in 1865, when he was united
in marriage with Parmelia A. Fluke, daughter of Mrs. Judith Browning and
a lady of many i)raiscworthy attributes, being the re])resentative of an ex-
JASPER COUNTY^ IOWA, 435
cellent old family. To this union seven children have been born, namely :
Frank M., Eva A., Mrs. A. C. Keinath, Harry E. (deceased), Fred C, Grace
M.. Airs. A. E. Hindorft, O. Blaine and Benjamin W.
Mr. Woodrow's beautiful residence in Newton, which is modern and
attractive in all its appointments, is frecjuently the gathering place for the
many friends of the family, who never fail to find here an old-time hospitalitv
and a sincere welcome, so that he and his wife ha\'e long been favorites with a
wide circle of warm and admirinsf friends.
WILLIAM S. GOVE.
Many elements contribute to the development of a new countr}-, but no
one thing plays so large a part as sterling worth and character. It is